Minecraft The Stranger: Rewritten
by sleep walker38
Summary: A young man wakes to the Overworld; scared, beaten, and alone. Armed with only two strange blades, and his broken mind that contains bits and pieces of his past, which is of a name he does not know is even his own, and of a gruesome fight that nearly costed him his life. Now he must struggle to survive in a world where he is a Stranger.
1. Chapter 1

Take a seat if you're staying, because its a long story. One that isn't fun for me to remember, but I suppose if you're gonna hear this story then it should be from me. The last thing I need is for someone to leave out a few details just to make me seem more like the bad guy or more like a hero than I really am. I'm not either, and while I'm not particularly a bad guy, I sure as hell won't call myself a hero.

Yeah I've done some things that some might think of as evil, but I like to think I've done just as much good as I have bad to even it out, but that's not the point; and I didn't really care what others thought about me.

Getting back on track, my name is Tyler. I was like any other person that entered this strange world. Like the rest, I had all but forgotten my past, with the exception of my name and a single event, which is more than most actually retained during the transition here. Though I still don't even know if Tyler was my name, but it was one of the only clear memories in my broken train wreck of a mind that was clear, while the rest of it was still very broken.

I only have bits and pieces of what I guess was my life before this whole thing started, but it was never clear what they meant since I didn't know everything.

Simply put, I don't remember much. Like, who am I really? Who was I before entering this nightmare of a world? Where am I? And more importantly where the hell is here?

But as for what I could remember, it was only two memories.

Just two small answers to a lot of unanswered questions.

The name Tyler. And the horrible memory of an event that I nearly died from, but one that would jump-start the new life I was to begin. One that continues to haunt me so.

This is my story.

* * *

Chapter 1.

* * *

I fell onto the ground as blood dripped from my face and onto the dirt My hand down at my stomach, a horrible pain keeping me from moving even an inch, every time I made an attempt to was punished with the severe pain that came with it.

I looked down to see the red liquid poring out of the fresh wound, pressing my hand against it in an effort to stop the bleeding, gritting my teeth in pain as I struggled to get onto my feet, letting the arrow that I'd dug out of my chest fall onto the dirt.

As soon as I was up, I heard the sound of the undergrowth behind me being disturbed as one of the bastards tracking me came to make sure I stayed down.

I knew perfectly well they would not take any kind of mercy on me, so I couldn't hold back, least I wish to meet a gruesome demise.

When I turned to face the figure, I saw my assailant hidden poorly in the shadows, though I doubted he was trying to be stealthy as he made no attempt to conceal the fact that he was stalking me, since his rushing through the forest had given him away.

Even though it was the dead of night and he was standing within the dark, I could still see him holding what looked to be a bow, pulling back on the string as he took aim at me.

There wasn't much I could do yet, since I was still confined to my spot leaning against a tree for support just to keep myself up, and he knew he had the perfect opportunity for a killing blow, so I suppose it didn't matter to him if he was hidden or not.

The bowmen found his target quickly just a moment after aiming, letting his arrow fly straight towards me, the arrow being visible under the moons light.

Unfortunately for him though, I wasn't such an easy target, injured or not.

Once the arrow closed in, my free hand instinctively whipped out and grabbed onto it, stopping it just before the tip could hit any part of my body.

I tried to rush towards him in rage after being attacked when I was in no real condition to fight, but I still needed to rest for a few moments, not having recovered enough to retaliate.

But that didn't mean he was going to stop yet, being relentlessly set on killing me.

Snapping the arrow in half after crushing the shaft, I finally used the hand that I'd been using to cover my wound and began reaching back slowly as he began walking closer after firing another shot off, aiming for the kill again.

I moved my head after he'd fired, the arrow zipping by and nearly cutting into my ear as I found myself finally free to move, yet at a much slower rate than had I been fighting fit, making my way towards him.

Seeing me come closer, he quickly fired off another, being quick about firing to keep his distance.

Though with the increased fire rate came less precision, so it took a small movement to avoid each one, either by turning my body or just taking a step to my right or left.

And yet my streak of luck didn't last much longer, one of them finding a line straight to my head.

At this moment, my reflexes kicked in, through my eyes everything moving at a much slower pace as I gripped the handle of my sword harder as I drew it, slicing it across the air and cutting the tip of the arrow off.

Finally having recovered enough to engage, I lashed out and grabbed onto his head, taking the blade to his neck and making a clean cut through it as I kicked the headless body away, holding up the severed head as I flipped my sword around, holding it in reverse.

Dragging the head into the light, the sight of it was something I couldn't yet explain and still shook me with fear.

It wasn't the head of a man I held, it was just a skull, and when I looked back to the body, it too was just bones. No flesh, no organs, no anything. Just a skeleton.

Yet I showed no reaction to the strange creature, just a dull expression, as if it was a usual experience for me. And if that was the case than why did it unnerve me so much now?

I dropped the skull onto the ground and crushed it beneath my foot before leaving to find my way back onto whatever path I'd been on before being attacked, the tip of the aqua coloured sword I held dragging across the ground as I walked on.

I knew they hadn't given up yet though, hearing the sounds of the forest disturbed by the monsters that hunted me, this time trying to stay hidden after having seen me promptly execute the hunter, yet failing at this.

Though I acted as though the fact they were there wasn't known to me, letting them prepare to strike, yet giving me more time to rest for any coming battles.

I glanced around discretely, seeing another skeleton joined by several others following it, each one preparing their bows, yet not stopping to fire at me.

I returned to ignoring them for the moment, feeling more of my strength start to return to me the longer I was out of combat, picking up the pace just a bit in hopes of getting enough ground between me and them when the time came.

Yet my increase in speed gave away the fact that I knew they were there, each of them quickly releasing the waiting arrow in hopes that one would find its way into my skull.

I quickly turned to face the creatures, swiping my sword across the air in response and cutting the tips off of each one, glaring at all of the skeletons who would challenge me, making my way towards them with the three rushing to reload.

And again the same mistake as the first was made as they continued with the rapid fire, each one being deflected by a quick swipe from my blade.

Seeing no real threat, I finally rushed over to my three would-be assassins, kicking the middle ones chest while my blade went into the one on my left.

As for the right, I pressed my fingers into its eye sockets and lifted him up, grabbing onto my arm and struggling as I ripped my sword out from the other as it fell to my blade.

Once all three were down, I just began to crush its skull in my hand, shaking it violently as it weakly kicked at my side. Only succeeding in being an annoyance, I gave one last hard squeeze that rendered it unable to move before slamming it down into the ground, shattering it entirely.

The last one slowly pushed itself off the ground as it pitifully reached out for a bow to continue its struggle, most of its ribs having been broken clean off, making moving that much more difficult, yet I was having none of it.

I stomped my foot onto its hand after it had laid it on the bow, kneeling down with a grin as I held the sword up to its throat.

It just gave me the most hate filled glare it could muster up as I dug the tip in further, fear being absent from its gaze as though it had already accepted death.

And yet the very moment I went to kill it, I heard the sound of a horrible screech come from the trees, whipping back and coming face to face with a red eyed giant of a spider that lunged straight at me from the leafs.

Having seen it before it had lunged I rolled out underneath the attacking creature, getting back onto my feet after it had acted as a shield, letting the downed skeleton climb onto to it and use it as a mount, holding its bow up now that the fight could continue.

I gave a low growl as I drew my second blade from the scabbard attached to a strap around my body that rested on my back, revealing a sword as black as the night sky that reflected the light from the moon, the three of us beginning to circle the other with violent intent, the spider snarling while I kept my swords crossed, making my way over to a path within the bushes discreetly.

Once I was close enough to be able to make a break for it I flipped the blades around so they were facing the ground and held my arms out, waiting for them to attack.

It didn't take much longer before I got the opportunity to escapeescape, the arrow coming just as quickly as it had been loaded, pushing off the ground and jumping back, another coming towards me as both blades began to glow white for a moment, sending out a blinding light that covered the small clearing we fought in; blinding them for the moment.

And when the light cleared, the arrow had lodged itself into the exact spot I had been, having vanished from their sight.

The spider hissed angrily as it and the skeleton searched the grounds for me once again, yet I was no where to be seen.

I found myself hidden within the leafs of a nearby tree, peering down at the creatures below during their search, having been able to escape from the monsters of the night. I wasn't sure what I'd just done exactly, or why I had even run in the first place, but I think it had something to do with the appearance of the spider.

Whatever the reason I had for doing so, I'm glad I had. From the shadows of the forest, two more of those mounted spiders came crawling out from the dark, each with about a dozen or more so following behind, actually physically disturbing me this time.

All three Skeleton riders pointed to a different location to travel before letting out what seemed to be orders, taking a few spiders from the group and going on their hunt.

I breathed out in relief before sheathing my blades and quickly ascending the rest of the tree to get a better idea of where I was exactly. "Hell no, skeletons are one thing, but spiders are a completely different story." I commented before I finally reached the top and stared out across the land, my eyesight being well enough that I didn't have much of a problem seeing in the dark. Even in the dark I wasn't entirely blind.

Looking out, my eyes set site on the sea, the smell of the salt water on the wind stronger than it had been.

"So close...Just a bit further...Have to escape." I said to myself, jumping out from the top of the tree I stood on and to another, thinking I could avoid them for now if I traveled through the air.

Unfortunately for me, a group of the creatures had gone the same way I needed to travel, so I tried to be quick about this, I also needed to be stealthily. So the odds were really stacked against me.

I could hear the sounds of the creatures as they searched further ahead, keeping a look out down below for any that might be nearby.

My mistake here was that I didn't worry about them enough, believing I could just escape them for a few moments should I be discovered once again, so I didn't exactly bother to be quite, seeing as how I was protected from sight by the trees.

And it was this moment that lead to my downfall.

Being so damned sure of myself, I failed to notice the shaking of the leafs around me, and the sound of another angry spider as it jumped out from cover and into me, knocking me out of the air as we both fell.

I hissed back at it as it snapped at me, narrowly avoiding having it sink its fangs into my neck and returning with a heavy blow to it's head, dazing it as it crashed onto the ground.

Having gotten rid of it for the moment, I started to twist my body around to re position myself while I was still in the air, my feet being the first thing to hit the trunk of a large tree, whipping my arms up and grabbing the two closest tree branches to support myself as I hung there.

Though just a moment after, having shrugged off my hit, the same spider began to crawl up a tree close to mine, its eyes locked on as it lunged, it's fangs ready to clamp down.

Acting as fast as I could, I pushed off the trunk of the tree and swung my legs forward, pushing straight up into the air as it latched onto the tree, ready to spring back at me again.

Growing tired of it, I shoved off the branch above me, diving into it before it had another chance to strike, any fear I'd shown before towards the spider suppressed for the moment.

Shoving my shoulder into it as we both fell towards the ground, I went to draw my aqua blade, letting out a battle cry as I slammed it into the dirt.

Quickly pushing off of its body and onto my feet, all while unsheathing the sword, I turned the blade around until it was aimed at the beasts head and falling back onto it, forcing the blade through its head, making the spider thrash around after having been killed as a last reaction.

Twisting the blade around until it went still, I began to shiver as I pushed off the corpses, disgusted by it.

Not wanting to be caught in the open by my hunters again, I quickly turned back towards the sea and broke out into a run, hearing them scramble as they made they're way towards the sounds of the fight that had just taken place, cursing myself for having given a battle cry.

Though as I looked back, I couldn't see a single one of them, and eventually, after getting far enough away from them, even the sound of they rushing through the forest was silent.

Even though all was quite, only the sounds of the forest at night behind heard, I was still uneasy. They were still there I just knew it. Though I had killed some of the creatures that pursued me, I did not doubt there weren't more out there, more of them lurking in the shadows like the nightmares they were, yet after going for about fifteen minutes without even a small sound to give them away, I finally thought I was safe enough to rest for a bit, my body starting to fail me the longer I went without rest.

The gods know I wish had kept moving, this being my final mistake.

After coming to a stop, I looked ahead at a rather small mountain just ahead of me, and sitting below it was a cliff, it having no other way to go other than down, towards whatever rest below. Believing myself to be safe, I leaned against a tree as I panted heavily from exhaustion, the night having been spent fighting finally taking a toll on me.

But, in my brief moment of belief that I was safe to rest, I found myself trapped, having been unaware that they had not only caught up to me, but their numbers had grown as well.

Hearing the hiss of a spider, I glanced up towards the trees, and was welcomed by a sight that turned my blood to ice.

Up in the trees were a large number of spiders, and the ones with skeletons leading them at the front of the pack. The three of them pulled arrows back on the strings of their bows as they took aim, quickly letting them fly towards me.

In the instant that they did, I only had a moment to avoid being struck, pushing off of the tree before they could touch me.

As if the sight of the sheer number of spiders wasn't bad enough, the army that joined them only worsened things. Stalking out from the trees, armed with various weapons and armor, were the powerful undead that traveled with them, snarling with hunger as they laid their black eyes upon me.

I stared down the rows of creatures as they advanced towards me, all out for death.

I was tired, losing blood, and had vicious creatures chasing after me wanting to kill me, my death seemingly close. But I'd be damned sure to make them work for it.

Regaining my composer, I pulled the strange aqua coloured sword out from the scabbard, holding it out with my right hand as I put my left arm behind my back, flashing a strange smile, fueled by the prospect of this great battle.

"Come at me with all you have. One at a time or all together. It matters little to me." I challenged them, ready for the attack.

One of the skeletons using the spiders for mounts took a spot on the ground, motioning for two undead swordsmen to go forward, which they did obediently.

The first one lunged forward, pulling his sword to his left as he lashed out at me, being easily dodged by just a little step away, tripping itself as a result.

I whipped out my free arm and gripped its hands, taking a hold of the handle to keep it from moving.

As it struggled to get its hands free, I launched my foot straight into its stomach, blood erupting from its mouth after the forceful hit, falling onto its knees as it coughed.

With it down momentarily, I spun back towards the other, taking my heel to its head.

Knowing I couldn't screw around, I flipped my blade back and jumped into the downed zombie, the blade slicing through its body as it was run through, going limp very quickly.

The other snarled loudly and angrily as it jumped at me in revenge for its lost brethren, its sword being thrusted forward.

Though all I did as raise mine up after pulling it out from the corpse, easily defecting the hit, taking my fist back and unleashing a hit strong enough to cave in its face, its body being tossed aside after being dealt the heavy blow, skidding across the ground lifelessly.

These things were not good at swordplay, or fighting in general, but they were tough and vicious, being incredibly dangerous in numbers, so I knew I still needed to be on guard.

Turning back towards the rest, the skeletons had finally stopped assessing the situation, commanding their forces to march forward, each one rushing towards their target.

I breathed in heavily as the horde advanced rapidly towards me at an alarming rate, going in for the kill, leaving me with very few options.

I reached out behind me and drew my second blade, flipping both of them down and kneeling as I took a moment to gather my remaining strength, slowing my breathing.

With my death coming closer, I no longer saw any reason to hold back. I would unleash everything I had and deliver my wrath upon them. They'd struck first, but swearing to the heavens above, I'd die last.

And should I meet death tonight, I would be sure to bring a few of these monsters to hell with me.

Suddenly, several of the spiders hissed loudly as they lunged towards me, expecting an easy kill after seeing me kneeling on the ground.

In the moment they did, a sudden flash from an unseen force knocked the three of them back, a red energy now tinting my body as I stood back up.

No longer giving them any chances to attack, I finally took the fight to them, rushing forward with a sudden burst of speed, dealing lethal strikes to those nearby as I rushed through the hoard, making quick work of many of their numbers.

All those that I passed quickly dropped dead, sudden large gashes appeared almost instantly across their bodies, unleashing quick and unseen strikes before I came skidding to a stop, whipping my body back and bringing my foot straight down on an undead's head and breaking its helmet off, shoving my dark blade straight into its chest, pushing it off to deal with the rest.

I kept up the fight against the creatures for as long as I could, my previous injures slowly weighing me down after going all out, my body unable to properly handle the effort any more.

I grabbed onto the head of a spider that had lunged at me, taking its head off with a quick strike from my sword and tossing it away, lashing back against any behind him as I stumbled forward, coughing up blood as they backed off, holding both blades up weakly with a poor attempt at standing.

The second both of my arms fell forward, one of the more courageous spiders jumped onto me, piercing my shoulder with its leg, forcing a scream to erupt as it dug the needle like end of its leg further.

Hissing because of the blow, my blade flew up, taking off its arms before it received a hard kick into its head, knocking it off as it withered in pain.

I tore the leg out from my shoulder, throwing it away as I rose back up, trying to ignore the pain the best I could.

It hadn't mattered how many I'd killed, there was more than enough to replace each one I killed a thousand times over.

Picking up both of my blades, I plunged them both into the ground, gripping them tightly as I stared out at the horde, the red tint leaving my body, indicting just how much weaker my body was now, though I refused to acknowledge it, making one last attempt to fight this undefeatable fighting force.

Putting whatever strength I had left into my blades, both began to glow their respective colours, glaring hatefully at the hunters. "May you all burn in hell." I shouted out, my cry being heard through the night as I ignited the spark needed to unleash the power stored in my swords.

The result was a powerful explosion that devoured all those closest to me, destroying everything in its kill zone, leaving only scorched earth behind.

As it began to spread, I stared at the burning clearing as the creatures tried to run from the fire or get to me, releasing my hold on the handles of my blades as I nearly fell back, finally having been exhausted from my power attack so much I barley even cared how close any of them got.

Not like it even mattered, as the flames lashed out at any that came too close, as though they were keeping me safe from any of my attacker's. Even the arrows being shot at me were burned away before they could reach me.

Though as I coughed up more of my own blood, I finally dropped down to my knees as the loss of blood was finally getting to me, preventing any further resistance, this being my last act to stay alive.

"Dammit...I wasn't careful enough. Dammit Tyler..." I cursed myself as I looked into the very center of the hell fire to watch them all burn, almost none being able to escape my wrath. "I-I'm sorry guys...I couldn't do it..." I said in a pathetic tone as I flinched away from the raging fire, it turning on its master, yet still fending off the creatures.

As the heat grew, so did my fear of the fires which surrounded me, scared of what it could do, and desperately trying to avoid each whip from the flame.

I moved back further as the flames came much closer, my feet just going over the edge of the cliff as I tried to avoid my own fire, having stupidly put myself in a even worse situation than I had just been in. Sure, the creatures would have given me a painful experience before my death, yet I would have much rather preferred the death from them then a slower one by my own hands, and being burned alive by my flames was not how I was going to go out.

So looking back down at the waters below, I finally made my choice.

I was not just going to let them kill me, I knew they would one day, yet today was not that day. Not yet at least.

It may have been how I was meant to die, or not. Hell, fate pretty much just left me no choice but to take my third option if I wanted to survive.

And yet I refused both of these, choosing to take a cowardly escape to live to fight another day, rather than die in vain.

I used my planted blades to push myself up, using any last bit of strength to force myself off the ground as I started to lean back.

And by that time, the creatures finally shot through the flames and towards me, but it was too late, as I had already thrown myself off the cliffs and towards the water below.

While I may have lived, I took a risky move in order to escape. It came with too heavy of a price, but it was my only means of escape.

But as I crashed into the lake below, I saw everything in my sight begin to slow as the water was thrown up. Small drops almost stopped in midair as my vision started turning dark as it took its hold on me, my body going limp as I faded into the darkness of the water, feeling my body become still as I softly floated down, until everything was silent, and I could no longer see the fire or the lights from the moon or stars.

Then nothing but the silence and black of the waters as my struggle ended.


	2. Chapter 2

Minecraft: The Stranger. Chapter 2.

* * *

Three months later.

* * *

I woke up with a cold chill as I screamed out in terror, my whole body trembling with fear as it jerked up harshly, every image from that night now fresh in my mind as I scanned my room for any sign that the creatures were lurking somewhere in the shadows, just ready to lash out at the monsters that concealed themselves in shadow.

As my eyes finally adjusted to the light of the touches hanging up on my walls, helping to sooth the terror I felt, I wiped the sweat from my eyes away, standing up to compose myself, this being one of the many times I'd been plagued by the horrible nightmare that was that night, and for the past few months I'd been here, I was no closer to solving any of this then when I had woken, bloodied and injured on that beach.

I had no idea how I had gotten into that fight, or why I was even there to begin with. The only thing I did know was my name, if it even truly was mine to begin with, it being one of the very few things I could recall, and that whatever lead up to that battle resulted in my broken train wreck of a memory.

No matter how hard I tried, the only thoughts that were clear were the fight with those monsters and falling from the cliff. Then nothing. Nothing at all, only echos of what once was my mind, nothing more than shattered thoughts and vague memories of a life before this one.

I don't even know how I was still standing let alone alive. I fell to the bottom of a fucking lake and passed out. I should be dead, and yet, here I was.

How wasn't I?

I sighed heavily in the confusion brought on by recent events as I threw off my blanket of the leafs I had sewn together and walked myself over to the window beside my bed, staring out at the land, the two little rivers that connected the sea and lake together reflecting back the light from the moon, one frozen and the other that freely flowed.

Next to each of these little rivers was a marvelous sight to behold. On one side, the snow covered all of the lands and waters below, covering it in a beautiful blanket of snow, freezing the area for the night.

And on the rushing waters of the other was a wild and untamed jungle, which was suffering through a raging storm, the wind violently whipping through the leafs of the trees as it received heavy rain, the small creatures which called it home tucked away in their dens for the night, just trying to wait out the storm in hopes of avoiding one of the more veracious predators, such as the larger jungle beast or the night stalkers, who welcomed the rain.

And in the middle of the rivers, where both snow and storm met, powerful and deadly strikes of lightning struck the sands of the beach, followed by the booming sound of the thunder each time there was a flash of lightning, though it had begun to become less frequent, showing that the storm was dying down somewhat.

I loved to spend most nights just watching the three storms, wasting away the hours just gazing into the area before exhaustion took me, as this sight was a common one, strange as it may seem.

It was peaceful, and yet every night the sight was ruined as they came out to travel the rivers, which was surrounded by those bastards of the night.

The river on the left side was entirely frozen, it facing the cold winds and snowy lands of the north, the creatures and their escorts dragging carts along the path, the carts sometimes empty, and at times they were filled with double or large chest. And on the other river, which was warm even on the coldest of nights, was the border to the hazardous jungles of the south. Filled to the brim with many resources and treasures, yet the danger was great, even for me. This border was used for traveling ships, which calmly sailed into the blackness of the caves below as the beast took the chest out to the stationary ships docked at the ends of the sheets of ice, what they did with or needed the items for in the in first place was beyond me, though having the courage to face them down was well rewarded most times, as there was much value in what they carried,

These routes carried a large bounty of great treasure to those who could overcome the creatures and the vast number of guards that were present, yet I choose my battles carefully, doing so only when my supplies needed to be restocked as each chest held many different items, ranging from jewels to armor, anything could be found on this trade route, yet it did not come without a price.

For every night that I split the tainted blood of the creature's, the following night would carry a heavy retribution.

Fighting them off was an easier task when the sun was close to shining its deathly rays upon them, yet fending them off for a whole night was another story on its own. It was exhausting and troublesome to fight the whole night away.

These creatures normally showed great stupidity any other night, but when it came to full assaults on my mountain home, they were quick and deadly. Most, if not all, fights ending with me severally injured as they had the superior numbers.

If not for my bodies high healing ability, I would surely have already been killed if they could venture out during the day or press further on in the coming morning, just barley being able to keep the armies of the monsters back.

If I suffered repeated attacks from them every night, my survival would be that much more difficult, yet they would only attack the one night then leave me be until I struck again, which I made sure to never repeat until at least a few days had passed to be sure not to anger them too much.

Living so close to enemy territory carried many risks and perks, yet I managed to survive this long, and I continued to do so.

I made sure to set traps for the creatures when they tried to scale the mountain, as well as keeping it well lit, so none of them were tempted to go anywhere near the top any other night, since they hated light and had no where to hide, preferring darkness where they were at their strongest.

It was a hard life so far, yet it was mine, which was all I really had.

I looked further back at the route to see a large hoard moving in a number of chests, giving me the perfect chance to get some new items, being low on a few things.

Walking over to the right corner of the house, I grabbed both of my twin swords and the scabbards that contained them as well as my backpack, slipping them on and already fully dressed, I flipped open the trap door, which dropped down to a few flooded tunnels, which I used as a means of safe passage through most of the area.

Looking back at the window as less of the moonlight shined in and now having an idea of how much time I had before sunrise, I looked into the dark waters of the cave.

With that in mind, I jumped down into the caverns below, coming face to face with the water once more, reliving that night for a second before I was completely submerged, the fear of the water clawing at the back of my mind, though I managed to keep control of my fear until I eventually suppressed the thoughts, focusing on my task I swam towards the exit, ready for the heavy resistance I was sure to face.

* * *

**One of the main differences about this story is that it will take longer to get up to the point where Tyler has to go to Winter-Moor, rather than in the first few chapters, in order to flesh out a few more things about each character, rather than just throwing them in out of no where. This does not mean that Alpha Team will will not been seen until then, as Zag, Xander, and Zero are main characters.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Minecraft: The Stranger: Rewritten.**

**Chapter 3.**

* * *

**Three months earlier.**

* * *

I groaned heavily in pain as I started to come out of my sleep, my hands digging into the hot sand as I pushed myself up, coughing up a bit of water and blood as I opened up my eyes, blinded by the light for a moment before quickly shutting them tightly, trying to adjust to the blinding sunlight.

I started Shielding them until I could freely open them, vaguely remembering just what had happened to me, only being able to recall my near meeting with death the night before.

I pushed myself off the ground finally, feeling around for anything nearby as I was still blinded for the moment, and that didn't help much when it was added with the extreme feeling of fatigue, weakly standing up with a struggle to not fall over.

Dusting off my hands the best I could to avoid getting anything in my eyes before wiping them off, finally managing to adjusting to the harsh light from the sun, opening them up to find myself on the sands of a small beach, two little rivers to my left and right that lead to two entirely different lands, one frozen and cold, and the other warm and lush with life, and in between them was the large patch of sand that I stood on, waves from the sea crashing onto its shore and the smell of salt on the winds, though the water wasn't able to reach me. And since I couldn't really recall anything about this place, I wasn't really sure if this was normal or not, seemed strange to me though.

Forgetting about the three different biomes in the single area for the moment, I turned back towards the two mountains that stood tall, the lake that I'd fallen into partially frozen, walking over to waters and kneeling down, slowly putting my hand into the icy waters and slowly moving my hand through it, confused as to how I was still breathing, or how'd I gotten out onto the beach in the first place.

I gazed down into the waters below, almost expecting to see myself as a bloated corpse just floating there, though there was no such sight at the bottom.

Pushing the dark thought to the furthest place in my mind, as well as the mysterious circumstances of my survival, I walked along the shore of the beach as I made my way towards the warmer jungle to dry myself, walking with a small limp and a body riddled with the pain of taking a step forward.

Crossing over the waters of the river, I simply fell onto the grass, it acting as a sort of blanket as the sun did its job of providing heat, not able to properly move yet, so choosing to lay there instead until my body was no longer a crippled mess, taking the time to figure out just where I was, the land and its surroundings strange and foreign to me.

Though as I rested and listened to the sounds of the jungle, I didn't think it was all that bad, finding some peace as I put together my thoughts.

Looking back at everything that had happened in what I thought was the following night, it seemed like something was missing, not just the fragments of my mind.

Thinking back, I finally realized just what it was, and how obvious it now was to me.

Raising my head up, I looked for the sight of the two swords I used in the battle, no where to be seen. I suppose they could still lay at the bottom of the lake, yet I'd washed up onto the shore, so it seems like they would have been there with me. Though as I recalled, I'd planted them into the ground before I'd taken the fall, so with any luck they were both still where I had left them. And hopefully getting them back might just bring to mind a few memories once the swords were returned.

With this new goal in mind, and the reward that may come with it, I wasted no more time waiting around for everything to fix itself, taking my leave of the spot to fetch my lost weaponry, though I was still suffering from my previous injuries, I kept forcing myself to walk on, my will keeping me strong enough to move.

Though where this path I took lead, now knowing what awaited me with these first steps, I wish I'd have drowned myself right then and there, but by the time I'd reached the top of the mountain, it was already too late to turn back, my fate no longer my own, my destiny being set by someone else's hand, making me into its puppet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Minecraft: The Stranger. Rewritten.**

**Chapter four.**

* * *

**In the past.**

* * *

The climb up was exhausting and painful, having only climbed a few feet before taking a misplaced step and nearly falling off the damned death trap, scrambling back onto my feet after pulling myself back over the edge, letting out a quick and heavy sigh in relief after the massive scare."Fuck this place, seriously." I muttered to myself as I got back on the stone path towards the peek, being much more mindful of where I stepped this time.

I wrapped my arms around myself in a poor attempt to keep warm after feeling the temperature drop, the freezing winds from the north picking up the higher I got, and with it a even worse cold, hoping to come across some shelter soon before the ice could lay claims on me, though every so often a bit of warmth broke through from the jungle, but it wasn't enough to end the chilling wraith of the frost.

With thinking about the past events being the only thing I could really do to occupy my mind, I found myself drifting off into my thoughts to pass the time, going over all that had happened in my head to piece together what I could remember, the first thing being of me, injured while pulling an arrow out from my gut while the creatures surrounded me, anything more before that was a complete blank.

Even though the events before that were unknown to me, its all I really had to go off of, the other thing being my swords, so hopefully they could bring back a few lost thoughts, which was the source of my determination and the reason I was putting myself through the harsh battle against the powerful force of the elements, hoping they'd give me some clues as to what happened to me, and that this would not be in vein.

But until then, I was stuck limping up to the top, left with only my thoughts and the cold embrace of the mountain.

* * *

**Back in the present.**

* * *

The hidden rivers of the caves took me out to a path that lead directly under a pond near the entrance to the jungle, taking in a silent but massive breath once I breached the surface, as the caves inside had an occasional creature or two, forcing me under the waters for most of the swim over, climbing out and wiping the water from my eyes as well as scouting out the cart tracks and the night stalkers that surrounded them from my spot, concealed enough to not worry about them just yet.

From what I could see, there were two large ships coming in to dock inside while several of the cart's came out, a few of them going in as well, while one ship as waiting to be boarded.

In my experience with this route, I'd learned that every cart going in and out contained something, the best ones to grab being the double's, and who knows what there could be held on those ships, something I'd never actually been able to do.

Feeling a little more brave than usual, with the sun close to shining a little light and when it did I'd have my chance, by then they'd be scrambling to get to the dark, and even though the ships were packed with creatures half of the time, I decided to take my chance, never having had a chance to take them before, but now I had the perfect opportunity to finally gain control of a ship, and not just one, but two if I was lucky.

I was fortunate that these things weren't intelligent enough to plan out what they took in and moved out, because sure, I'd found plenty of crap when I attacked just before the sun was close to rising, and even when it was hours way, and sometimes I got great things and other times not, making it not worth the trouble, showing that these things just unpacked and loaded whatever whenever with no strategy in mind, which was really helpful. And there were very few items that were entirely useless to me as it was, so its not like I couldn't find some use for everything I found, even if it meant holding onto it and finding someone else that it would have more value to.

Moving out closer to the cover of nearby trees and bushes, I could see much more of the area, the ships coming closer to docking while a number of carts were being taken in, with very few coming out. If I passed up the chance and waited until there wasn't as many of the creatures there, then it would be safer for me, yet that would mean passing up on this opportunity.

Knowing I might not got a chance like this again, I drew only my diamond sword out as I stalked forward, the sides of both ships and the decks left unguarded for the moment, my guess being the other creatures were below deck, getting the shipment ready.

Both of the ships anchors were already out, giving me easy an access point. quickly climbing up it and silently boarding the enemy ship, ducking behind a few crates to hide until I was sure I was able to freely move about the ship.

Looking out towards the cave across the small lake, I caught sight of only a few were crossing the ice bridge with carts, nearly finished with the other ship ready to leave. If I could move fast enough on this, than I might just take a third, but only if I could secure the first two without alerting the others.

There weren't that many outside, only a few getting the last of the carts loaded.

Quickly thinking over a plan, I reached into my backpack, taking out long line of collected spiders web and silently making my way over to the ship behind it.

* * *

It took only a few minutes to successfully put into place everything I needed, two thin lines of incredibly strong spider's web attached to the mast of all but one of the ships, holding both lines in my right hand was I sat in the cover of a tree, waiting for a few of the creatures to pass by on their way to the ship ready to set sail, the crews of the other two returning for to the caves for another shipment after a short trip to the ships to load more onto one of them, finally launching myself out towards the ice that the creatures used to get across the lake once they were all inside.

Standing close to the ice path, I quickly prepared for what was about to happen, letting out a loud whistle to get the attention of the various creatures, each of them snarling as they all turned to face me. I held my right arm up, slowly pulling forward on the string as well as taking out my blade from its scabbard in preparation for the fight.

Knowing that I was now a threat, they pushed aside the carts as they flew into a crazed blood rage, running over towards me with a murderous urge for the new hunt.

Losing whatever sense they had over the new threat, they let out an ear splitting screech to alert the crews as they rushed towards me.

Though the crew of the ship docked by the ice only managed to gain a few feet before I gave one final tug, pulling the mast down upon those that made the mistake of challenging me, either completely crushing them underneath the massive piece of wood or trapping a few of the wretched things.

Having made quick work of the crew, I doubled back towards the second ship with the rest in tow, the few remaining quickly gaining ground, having made it past the icy walk way and snarling with blood lust.

I held my sword up as they entered my kill zone, giving a heavy pull that brought the remaining mast down on top of the rest of the creatures, though the few zombies that had narrowly avoided being trapped underneath lunged after me after climbing over it.

The closest one's claws plunged into the ground after I stepped back, dealing it a heavy kick into its head, cracking it wide open once its head connected with the mast and my foot pressed down against it.

Another two took its place as soon as the first one fell, finding myself brought to the ground as it pounced on me and began to slash its claws across my chest.

I let out a loud growl as I wiggled my right arm free, bringing it across its face before grabbing onto its shoulder and striking it once more, heavily ramming my head into its face and busting its nose open.

With it dazed, I pulled it down off of me, taking it down as I rolled backwards, switching positions with the zombie and holding it down with my foot before I ended it, taking its head clean off with a swipe from my sword, the now headless corpse thrashing around for a bit before finally going still.

Stepping away from my kills, I looked down towards the remaining one, who hung back as I dealt with its brothers.

The two of us made our way towards an area of the beach free of the bodies and parts from the ships, it glaring hatefully at me as I wiped the blood off of my blade, stepping slowly over towards it as it brought its arms up, its claws extended and ready.

I carefully watched the strange zombie, having never seen one withhold from a fight, having only ever seen them relentlessly attack with no signs off stopping, yet this one took a fighting stance.

Ignoring that fact for the moment and going back to thinking I could handle a single zombie, I charged in foolishly, bringing my sword up towards the sky in my belief that it would simply charge in like I had seen them all do. But not this one.

This one whipped its body to the side, the blade of my weapon hitting the ground where he should have been.

Though before I could react to this, it twisted back to me and lunged out for my right arm, grabbing my wrist and forcing the blade into the ground and giving a quick jab into my forearm which made me release my weapon, being smart enough to disarm me.

It held my arm with an iron grip, having to pull back my only free arm to retaliate, though once more did it surprise me.

Turning his back towards me, spinning around as I failed to land the hit with my fist flying past him, his elbow met the side of my face, knocking me back as he finally released me, only to quickly grab a handful of my hair and the back of my shirt and drag my back, tossing me back onto the ground.

Having gained the upper hand for the moment and finding myself being pushed around by a zombie, it took advantage of its free move and jumped onto me as I fell, its claws digging into my shoulders and getting a loud wail out of me before it fled back, having seen what happened to the other when it did nothing but attack me while I was down, not giving me any short of chance of touching it.

And I wasn't about to let myself remain an easy target especially for this freak, pushing myself up despite the wounds from my arms that I'd been given, looking back towards the strangely skilled fighter, its fist clenched and held up, ready for another round.

Severely angered that for a few moments I'd been beaten down by an undead monster, I hissed in pain as I began to reach back for my only remaining weapon, having unfortunately learned not to underestimate this one, being sure to remember this the next time I found myself overconfident.

Seeing me become serious, it slowly reached out for my other sword, having finally made his own grave mistake.

Once it laid its unholy hands upon the hilt, that very moment it yanked its arm back with a loud howl as the sound of its flesh cooking followed, giving off smoke from the burn it had received from touching the blade, finally seeing my chance at a swift victory.

Rushing up towards the injured fighter, I twisted around as I lifted my leg up, bringing my heel across its face, causing a loud snap as a result, assuming I had broken its jaw.

Quickly, I took a hold of it injured limp and raised it as I went under, launching myself up along with my elbow, further injuring its jaw yet making sure it wouldn't recover as quickly.

With it completely dazed from each heavy blow, I latched onto its burnt arm, yanking it over my shoulder and flipping him onto the dirt.

With it unable to escape, I took a hold of its shirt and dragged him towards my sword as I stretched out its arm, taking and diving towards my sword, pulling him with me, the blade easily cutting through the now body-less arm, spraying blood all over me and the ground once I'd taken it off.

Having the chance I needed to finally finish the fight, I snatched my sword from the ground and got back onto my feet, watching as it thrashed about on the ground with a horrible screech as it covered up its wound.

Out of respect for it as a fighter, I walked over towards the suffering creature with the intent of putting it out of its misery.

Though when I went to raise my sword up to deal it the final blow, it reacted violently, using the last of its strength and its remaining arm to roll onto its left side and force itself up, kicking its leg out and connecting its foot with my throat and knocking me away.

Though rather than continue a losing fight, it turned to flee rather than clash again, knowing that if we were to do so, it would die, its stump leaving a trail of blood as it fled.

Gasping for air after receiving the hard blow and reaching up to cover my neck up, I watched as it ran towards the safety of the cave, rushing across the ice as I drew my dark blade as well as my diamond sword and went after it, believing him to be too dangerous to leave alive, though not able to keep up as I was still struggling to catch my breath.

Though as I reached the ice walk way, I came to a hard and sudden stop as I was welcomed to the sight of over a dozen creatures, ranging from skeletons to armed zombies to spiders, the armless one glaring out at me as he hid in the shadows.

I know I should make sure that it died, but I was vastly outnumbered, and without any other reason to continue the fight, as I now had the three ships and all of the chest that they had brought out to load onto them, and the ones scattered around from the battle, I chose not to follow.

Having won the hard fought battle, I held my swords up to the sky and focused, letting my strength flow into them and summoning the power held within them, making both glow a bright orange aura before I brought them down onto the ice, the energy from my swords breaking apart their bridge and making them flee away from the separating ice, the chest on the tracks that they'ed abandoned when they came out to fight falling into the waters, making a mental note to retrieve them in the morning when it was safe.

With their only path to the land now destroyed, they saw no reason to prolong the fight any longer, retreating back into the darkness of the cave, the armless one being the last to remain.

Both of us shared a final look of hatred and anger before he joined the rest, leaving me with the treasure I'd sought out, now with the knowledge that I could do so without fear of the creatures hunting me.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I turned back towards the ships and those trapped underneath the mast, doing the honorable thing and finishing them so that they would not suffer once the sun rose, which was just beginning to shine a bit of light.

For now, with the ice gone, the route was useless to them, but the lake would freeze over once again, and with it the creatures would return.

Though until that time came, I would not have to worry about the monsters below my home, though I knew I had to prepare for a counter attack in revenge for those that had been slain.

Those as I looked towards the rising sun, I felt more sure of my strength and skill, having fought back against the night dwellers and succeeded in my endeavors, not only taking possession of the ships, but having shown the creatures that I was taking back my territory.

Though how long my victory would last was unknown to me, thinking back to the zombie that had fought with such skill, I shivered at the thought of running into him again. Though if we ever did meet again, I knew that I would have to kill him.

Forgetting about the armless one and the future for a moment, I walked onto the only captured ship that could still sail and relished in the spoils of war.


	5. Chapter 5

**Minecraft: The Stranger. Rewritten.**

**Chapter 5.**

* * *

**In the past.**

* * *

I brushed away the snow that collected on my shoulder, a steady storm having kicked up only a few minutes ago, and grew worse with every passing moment.

Knowing how long I'd last if I was caught in the full force of a blizzard, I picked up a bit more speed, no loner concerned with the weapons I sought for the minute and focused more on some shelter in an effort to outlast the icy weather.

My clothes had barley dried during the time I'd spent walking myself, and with them torn from the battles beforehand, I found very little protection with them, making a mental note to procure more appropriate clothing the second I had the chance. Should I ever find myself in the snow again, I wanted to be sure I'd survive, though that was if I made it out of this alive and in one piece.

Looking out into the gathering snow clouds above, I could just make out the sun, ever so slowly lowering itself into the waters of the sea as it took the last bits of its sunlight with it, the weather growing colder and more wild as the night began to steal the land away from the warmth of the star, and with it my chance of survival grew smaller.

Now having a time limit, I turned away to focus on my present task, so I continued to walk on all the same, refusing to lay down and die, taking in all that the land could deal out with little complaint.

Though I could admit that there was a strange sense of peace as I made my way through the snow, the chill of the snow softly landing my skin before leaving as a drop of water, holding some respect for the frost that was hard at work to take my life.

Though I would't let it take me so easily. It would have to show its real power if it wanted to claim me as it had those before me, stubbornly pushing on, undaunted by the challenge presented to me, pushing forward despite having started to lose feeling in most of my body, having gone numb from the cold.

Pushing the thought of freezing away after coming to a large stone wall, I grabbed onto the cracks within the stone and began to climb up higher, shutting my eyes after taking a quick glance up and having them hit with the snow.

Letting out a loud hiss as a result, I rubbed the ice out from my eyes as soon as I found a spot to properly balance myself, making sure to keep them shut as I moved on, slowly losing my temper with the mountain.

* * *

It took longer than I'd thought to finally reach the top, hauling myself over the edge and letting out a few hard coughs as I scrambled away, the taste of blood in my mouth from breathing in too much of the cold air after being out in this weather for who knows how long, looking down towards the ground to measure how much ground I'd gained, shying away further from the cliff at how high I was, though once I looked towards the peak, I found I had barley made a scratch, finding myself still with much left to travel.

Picking myself up from the ground, I shook off the snow just before I moved on once more, yet I took one last look back towards the setting sun, finding myself watching it closely as it lowered and night descended upon the land.

The more time I spent watching it, the more a feeling of dread began to build up inside as I thought of the moon and the darkness that it brought, slowly finding myself frozen to the ground as the sun finally disappeared, left completely motionless.

For a split second once the sun had vanished and the moon had risen, fear over took my mind as the protection a sudden urge to run and never stop made itself known, and strongly compelled me to move, though my body did no such thing, so I stood there in the dark, fearing some unknown force.

For whatever reason I had to fear the dark was not known to me, but I knew it was not misplaced, slowly forcing little moments to shake away the paralyzing fear that kept my feet chained

What finally made my body explode into a frenzy of panic was the blood curdling wail, almost feeling as though whatever had made the horrible screech was standing beside me. As soon as it died down, the sound of something trampling through the brush below followed.

Finally, I regained control of my body, breaking into a full on sprint getting much further up the mountain in just a few short seconds than I had in a few hours, to escape an evil I could feel was coming, a horrible feeling of dread washing over me as I ran from an unknown threat.

As though it could sense my moment of weakness, the storm took the opportunity to unleash its wraith upon the land, snow harshly and heavily falling, almost blinding me, barley able to keep my eyes open as I struggled along the path ahead.

Every step I took was a battle itself, one that I was not winning, desperately trying to keep my eyes covered and at the same time navigating my way further up in my attempt to escape from whatever the night had brought, something stalking around in the shadows.

Though strangely enough, I felt like I knew what was hidden within the dark, waiting for me to meet it face to face.

Whatever it was, I just kept on running, not too eager for the encounter, but knowing that when I did, I'd be ready to face it.

And no matter what happened, I'd still be standing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Minecraft. The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter 6.**

* * *

Most of my body had gone numb the longer I stood out the cold, still fighting my way through this damned blizzard with what little strength still remained, it being all I had left to to keep my body moving, though slowly feeling it drain away every moment that I remained out in this harsh mountain area without shelter, feeling as though I could collapse at any given second if I didn't find a away to escape it.

Soon after this weakness began to overtake my body, my vision became so obscured by the heavy snowfall that my eyes were rendered useless, not even able to see where I was placing my feet, so now I was walking along a path where at any second I could take a single wrong step and plunge back off towards the ground.

As soon as I started to taste blood in my mouth, hard fits of coughing followed from having breathed in too much of the freezing air, still dragging my feet forward with whatever determination I had left, enable to give up just yet.

Though as the moments grew longer and the cold grew worse, it seemed more likely I was just traveling through what was an impatient grave-site, the snow my soon to be tombstone.

With the coughing fits I continued to have, I kept fading in and out on conciseness, on the verge of collapsing as I made a desperate final stand, finding myself drawn towards the ground as I wanted nothing more than to rest.

But I knew I couldn't stop, for that would mean certain death, so I pressed on with whatever I had left in me, further drifting into slumber, with my effort seemingly wasted in a futile effort of survival.

The more I refused to lay down to let death claim me, the harder it began to even move a step forward, and soon enough I started to question why I was even trying in the first place.

I didn't have that answer, but something compelled me to keep going, to keep me living long enough to see to the end this journey I was on.

For whatever the reason, I forced myself to take step after step, to keep doing so as long as my body allowed, and for even longer if possible.

Though as the moments of struggle grew longer, my strength faded even further from my already weakening body, until I had finally fallen onto my knees with heavy breathing as I tried to cover my body with my arms, finding myself fading into a blanket of snow with no fight left to give, doing all I possibly good to keep myself warm, even if it was just a little, still trying to keep myself going a little farther.

With nothing left to go on with, I tried to resign to my fate at the hands of this snow, though finding failure in even dying as I continued to push myself, attempting to rise back onto my feet, or at the very least my knees, though I found no such success in my endeavor to make it through the mountain, much less make it to shelter alive.

This path now seemingly had but one ending that I could see for me, and it wasn't one I was eager or wished to get to too.

But with all of my strength exhausted from this little adventure, I wasn't sure that I had any other choice in the matter, feeling sleep start to overtake me as my eyes began to shut for what I assumed would be in my last moments of clinging to life. and soon, no longer did I even fell the sting of the cold.

When the falling snow landed on my cheeks, it quickly dripped off in place of tears had I been able to cry, too exhausted to even do that, whatever strength I had having left me soon after I collapsed, leaving me with no other means of escape, not this time.

In anger, I swore at whatever gods belonged to these fucking wastelands of ice and death, and at whom ever had brought me here just to watch me die, to have seen me escape from almost certain death at the claws of the creatures I had faced only to see me now fall to a force I could not combat as easily as I could with those damned monsters.

As the end came ever closer, I was welcomed to the sight of one more reminder of how cruel these lands were.

Out from the snow, I could hear a low, menacing growl, one that broke through the deafening sound of the raging blizzard.

Looking towards where the sound of coming death came from, I watched it for some time as the sounds grew louder, not fearing it at all as I welcomed a quicker death than what the blizzard would grant me, the frost a cruel bitch.

I would come to favor the first, as what I saw almost forced my body up, and had I the smallest amount of power left I may have accomplished this task, if only to prolong the inevitable, though I had no such luck, having run out of that long ago.

I was then welcomed to the sight of a large creature as it stepped out from the cover of winter. A great wolf with fur as white as the snow it walked upon, and its eyes were of sky blue, a strangely calming sight to behold and it not been there to claim injured prey, that I was sure of.

I assumed my fate sealed once it bent down to sniff the creature that lay before it to see if it still draw breath, unable to defend myself against the powerful beast as it gripped my left arm in its jaws and began dragging me to gods know where, my journey seemingly over where it had begun, not even having been able to pass the first few steps.

I saw no point in resisting as it held me in its clutches, not finding a reason to try and delay what was coming as I was too weak to enter battle with this creature.

I did not believe this was something I could escape with my fist alone, so I made no attempt to resist, surrendering my life over to this creature, and to whatever mercy it could give, if it understood such a concept was debatable, yet I held some form of hope.

Though at this point it seemed misplaced to hope for such a thing, yet somehow I held onto this belief. The belief that I'd lived to see the sun rise once more.

* * *

As my life hung by only a thread which threatened to be cut at any given moment by this strange creature that held my life in its jaws, all that I had fought for became seemingly wasted effort. Yet even with all the evil that hid within the dark corners of the world standing against me, there still existed but a ray of hope for my survival, for my part had not yet been played. And I was forbidden to leave this world until I'd seen my task's end. Though for a few moments, my story would be on hold for the tale of others.

Not far off, there rest others plagued by the dark as well, fighting the creatures just as I, engaged in a losing and heavy warfare against the overwhelming forces of the monsters of darkness, and others seeking to control them, though remained strong in the face of this deadly threat, one that forced even the young into a conflict they may never see end, yet for the few brave enough to stand in the heat of battle and survive, they grew stronger everyday, especially for one most gifted in the art of death.

One young man, strong enough to stand before the path of shadows and fight all that came at him, both without rest, and no end to this conflict in sight.

* * *

Taking cover in the walls of a cave that overlooked the towers that lead to safe passage within their home, four figures sat around a dimly lit fire, in hopes that the storm would soon pass and that they would be free to continue their journey, drenched, cold, and making the best attempt they could to get warm, though not as bothered by the cold as most as they had to learn how to endure the frost in order to live in such a place, having grown accustomed to the freezing weather long ago and become strong because of it.

One of the four stood up above his associates, leaving the bit of fire they had going and walking over to the caves exit, seeing as how he would be cold either way with the small amount of fire they'd been able to get going, in favor of staring out into the land as it suffered through the heavy blizzard, an all too common sight in these lands, though he did not mind the weather as he found some peace in the snow, giving him some small amount of comfort, hard to find in the land they lived in as they faced constant threat of being wiped-out by the creatures, though they still fought none the less. Why they fought, the people had long forget, all they knew was the constant threat of the night, and fear of shadow.

The only annoyance he found was the creatures that currently stalked about the shadowy night, him and his team at too high a point to be taken of notice though, keeping them save from any confrontations for the moment. Now all they had to do was sit and wait out the night and resume travel in the morning, but only if the snow permitted them save passage on their travels.

This boy stood and watched for some time before hearing the complaints of one that he traveled with. "Why is it we're the ones that have to suffer through the night while the others get to sit back and enjoy warmth and luxury at Fort Winter?"

Glancing back at his friend, he took his spot back beside them for conversation, as being made to suffer through the winter night in silence and solitude was a much worse fate, he thought. "Because this isn't an assault mission, we're suppose to be diplomatic, if the gods would allow us to bring peace to the situation. We are only to engage the Golden Tongues as a last resort. A larger team might have made them nervous, but if it comes to that than we are the best suited to handle a full scale battle."

Another among them, a girl only a year or two younger than him, her hair an usually beautiful violet colour, took his words with a roll of her eyes. "Any of us would have had little issue putting down a riot. And if it did come to that, which is the expected outcome, than our strength should have been full. Besides, once they see us they'll have plenty of reason to be worried."

He didn't argue against her point as they four in particular had a most violent history with the tribe they were to seek out, mostly agreeing with her words for he knew them to be of truth, as he should be leading all of his team, rather than this small band of fighters, as they were strongest when they fought together, though saw no point in speaking of it now, as nothing could be done to ease the threat. "It doesn't matter though. Fort Winter was in need of assistance, so we had no choice but to divide ourselves."

"The Golden Tongues are of much greater threat than a squad of creatures, our strength will prove useless if we do not all stand together. We should have sent Delta or Gamma in their place."

"The order is not mine," He reminded her, as telling this to him held no point as he had no say in it. "But I was promised that they would not be held there long, so by the time we get there we may yet find them waiting."

"Maybe isn't good enough, Xander," The boys elder brother spoke up after the two had finished words, standing up to address him, angered by the prospect of fighting a full tribal invading Warband with just the four of them as the defending force. "You know how dangerous they can be, yet you would allow them to have us walk through fields of glass blindfolded and bare footed."

Annoyed by the complaints being directed at him, Xander stood to take leave of those he traveled beside, only to have his shoulder grabbed to keep him in place. "I would still have words with you, brother." He declared with slight annoyance in his tone, not letting Xander leave without having heard them. "Xander, even you have difficulties facing Taos when alone." He said. referring to one most dangerous Warleader, powerful enough to put the demon of Winter-Moor on the defensive, something even they found challenging, full strength or not.

Xander made no further attempt to move, looking back towards his brother with an understanding gaze of his words, knowing that despite his commanders having ordered they're departure, it ultimately fell to him for the short staff he had to work with, as this endangered them all. "I know, Miz. But they would have it no other way. But you're wrong about one thing. While we may be all the defensive force there is at the moment, we never fight alone. We will always stand together. And stand strong."

Miz smiled at the confidence his younger brother showed, Xander returning it as he looked to his friends as they did the same.

"While I'm still unsure about this battle, if you believe we can win, than I will follow you as I always have." Miz spoke sincerely as he and those that followed Xander without question placed faith in the young man as their leader, holding onto their belief that Xander would prove himself worthy of his title as he always did.


	7. Chapter 7

Minecraft. The Stranger: Rewritten.

* * *

**Chapter 7.**

* * *

Tyler stood upon the deck of the only ship still sea worthy-The only one that remained in such condition and the only one to remain virtually untouched after the heavy combat that had occurred only a few minutes before- as he stared out into the vastness that was the sea, leaning against the mast as he started to lose himself within his thoughts. Something he was prone to do as of late, almost having become a daily occurrence since he first woke up on the beaches of his home, if he could really even call it that.

His mind drifted off to the ship he'd recently acquired, and what having it meant to him now that he'd managed to take one successfully from the creatures and liberate his home, even if it was for a few days, as the ice bridge would return soon, and with it the monsters of the shadows.

But thoughts of future danger and of the night stalkers where not what had his mind lost, but of the freedom that had finally presented itself to him, that he was no longer trapped within the dark inner borders of the barricade the creatures had set up around him, preventing him from ever stepping foot outside where they did not allow.

But no longer did they have him contained, now he had finally come across a means of escape, from the hell the creatures had forced him to endure.

Yet what scared him the most was not of what hid within the dark, but of the uncertainty of what was beyond his reach.

He didn't think it was wrong to wonder of a life away from the monsters that hunted him, of lands free of their claws, to be able to take a step under the light of the moon without it being followed by a near constant fight for survival, where being forced to fight for his very life wasn't a daily occurrence he had become accustomed too.

In the time he'd spent living this way, he'd grown tired of it. Of the almost never ending blood that had been split by his own hand, the blood that had been taken from his own body, to have become use to this kind of death. So to wonder of such a thing, to believe it could possibly exist, was almost too much to think of, as he did not want to hold on to a wish he knew lead to more suffering. He did not wish to dream of something that only a fool would dare to do, yet still somehow held on to the hope of better days, somehow.

For that hope came from how long he'd managed to survive these icy wastelands, of how much stronger these lands had forced him to become, the mountain the only home he'd been able to call his own, and with the hell these lands unleashed had he become strong enough to stand his ground. Yet it was also the time he'd spent here- in the jaws of monsters that sought to slit his throat- that the more it seemed this land went out of its way to make his hope wane, to destroy any belief that escape was possible.

Yet in that time, he'd learned the hard way that at any give moment his life could be cut down and stolen, by just about everything he shared the land with, though knew he'd lived to see the sunrise and the sunset. For a reason he could not explain, he just knew he would not yet be killed, though sometimes felt as that day drew ever closer with every fight. Yet for the time being, it was no where close to being that day.

And until that day came, he'd continue to face down the nightmares that chased him, to slaughter those that would stand in his way, no matter who or what stood against him, be it monsters, demons, or the gods themselves.

Turning away from the sea, he looked towards his home atop the mountain, a smile coming to his face, a rare sight these days.

While he may have wished to escape the creatures, this was the only place he could call his own, and it was his. Having the boat there, waiting for him, was comforting, but he would not run just yet, because until it was taken from him, he wasn't going anywhere, and he would fight for it so long as he could still draw even a single breath.

Jumping off of the ship after safely storing it should he ever have need of it and onto the ground, Tyler began his walk home, the familiar howls of wolves off in the distance as the sun rose to greet him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Minecraft. The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**.

* * *

Having been unable to cause any motion with my own body for however long I'd first fallen into darkness, I had begun to presume to have passed on, yet I could not be sure as my death had been most certain after my battle with the creatures, and yet I had still found myself standing.

The pain of the frost had ceased, but I still couldn't quite feel any part of my body; And while I still felt cold, I no longer felt the painful numbness the snow had caused me, now I could actually start to feel the chill of winter.

And as the moments passed, I began to feel more of my body, able to at least get myself to twitch slightly every so often, confirming that I still yet live. Though I could only wonder for how long that would go unchanged, as the last moments before I fell into unconscious were of the great wolf that had dragged me off, sure that my end had come by its jaws, and if not now, than soon.

At as more time went on, I became unsure of what the creatures intentions were, slowly finding I could once again feel my eyes, just barley opening them up; Seeing nothing but the darkness of a cave, where the wolf had brought me I assumed, though the reasoning behind it I had no idea, for I had no idea how to even start to think of how the mind of beast functioned, their minds unpredictable to me.

With just a little more time spent to recover, I found my sight returned to me, finding myself placed carefully against the stones of a cave wall, seeing dozens of shadowed figures deeper in the cave, all huddled together to sleep the night away.

I could not see what they were, but it wasn't hard to guess that I had been brought to a wolf den, the sounds of each one of them in sleep giving me some comfort, that and the few extra moments of life were greatly appreciated.

I took great care not to disturb any of the sleeping and potentially dangerous enemies, as I was in no condition to engage in even a small clash as I wasn't fully moving yet and still very much weak, nearly silently scooting my way across the ground towards where I felt the cold coming from, the only chance of escape I had been presented with.

Yet before I had even had my moment to even make a small attempt to leave, I nearly ruined any chance I had, forcing my neck to turn towards the exit to find a very much unwanted sight; One wolf that stood guarding the only means of escape I had.

I couldn't say so for sure, but I believed it to be the same one that had brought me here in the first place, this one being of the same size, holding my breath as I stopped and remained motionless after setting my sights upon it once more; Unsure just what it was thinking exactly and still fearing this large wolf.

It had spared me for the moment, yes, but that did not necessarily mean I had nothing to fear from it.

Taking every precaution I could, I still made an effort to move forward, deciding that I had a better chance this way, as I would rather be closer to the entrench when it should turn around, rather than be too far away to even make a run for it.

I watched it for what had started to feel like hours, taking a little more ground over a long period of time, having made no real progress, though despite the poor amount of distance I'd managed to cover over an extended amount of life I still had, I could at least find solace in the fact that I still had life to waste.

Strangely enough, the feeling of any sort of threat from the creature began to fade the longer I spent in the presence of this powerful, monstrous sized creature, until finally, for whatever reason, I stood up, supported by the wall as I made my stand, having realized that it should have already been aware of the movements I made, however slight they might have been.

Taking my chance, I stepped onto the snow that had gathered around the cave entrench, the small tune of the crunch of the ice almost echoing across the cave.

If I could pick up this almost unheard of silences, than there should be no doubt that this wolf would be unable to preform the same feat, not unless it was deaf that was.

With no apparent signs of it taking even the slightest notice of me, I finally moved to stand beside it, inching my way across the stone wall as I had yet to fully recover, taking careful note of the blank, intense stare the wolf had.

Its icy, sky blue eyes gazing out into the blizzard, seeing something there that I could not. An unseen force that called for its watch.

Its eyes may not have been on me, but I knew I could clearly been seen, even if its attention was on other things.

I looked to where its sights where set upon, trying to see what it saw, unable to as the blizzard had become so much worse than when I was last awake, cutting off any view of the world beyond the borders of the stones.

Seeking to gain even the smallest of sights, I made an attempt to move forward as best I could, seeing the outlines of trees in the blanket of darkness the land was shrouded in.

Yet as my eyes began to adjust as best they could, I could just barley make out the shadowy figures moving about in formation.

What lay hidden in the shadows brought a touch of fear as thoughts of what it could be formed, but as did the need to learn just what we were up against.

Seeking out to discover this, I took only a step forward before the wolf beside me let out a low growl the moment I stepped in front of it, though I had not heeded its warning, making further attempts to stray from the protection of the guardian, my own mistake.

Before I could place a foot outside the cave, it lashed out at me, its jaws clamping down onto my left arm and violently pulling me back into the depths of the cave, so suddenly that I only felt the pain of being harshly whipped back, rather than its teeth digging into my skin.

Unknown to me, she had just saved my life once again, though I could never have known that by the way she had done so as it had really been the only way to warn me not to attempt the same thing again, tossing me onto the stone floor as I scrambled to get away from the angry den mother, once more giving me a menacing growl as it narrowed its eyes on me, though not in the threatening was as I had first assumed.

Breathing heavily in panic, I crawled as far away as I could to avoid her wraith again, planting myself against the wall as I tightly held onto my fresh wounds, fearfully watching as she kept her eyes on me for a few more moments before turning back to her post her, her gaze having softened now that she was sure I would make no further attempts to leave or investigate what lay beyond the borders of the cave.

I no longer felt any safer here than I had been when I was out dying in the cold, looking down at the bite mark left from when she pulled me back, only to discover there was no blood left from the sudden strike, the skin having barley been broken, the shock of it having been the worst part of the bite, so I was unable to process any of this.

Though it still stung like hell, so I dug it into the snow to ease it, keeping my sights on her now, still not sure just what was going on.

The only things I did know, was that just outside this cave filled to the brim with the wolf pack, things stalked us from within the shadows, their movements covered by the storm and just barley visible, so to me, I was surrounded by monsters that could kill me at any second, unaware that there too, were creatures that would see me safe, and onto the new day.

* * *

**Else where.**

* * *

I was the first among my brothers and sister to have awoken to the new day, the fire having long been extinguished during the course of our long wait through the night, yet none us had taken any notice of it, as the cold no longer seemed to bother those of Winter-Moor, one of the perks of bring a son or daughter of the snow I suppose.

I stood up from the stone floor that we'd used as a make-shift bed to stretch out my aching body, grabbing my white coat off from the ground and walking away from the warband towards the entrench to the cave, the inside of our little shelter just as cold as the rest of the frozen wasteland, showing just what exactly we had endured the night before.

But we were no strangers to sleeping within the outside world of our beloved Winter-Moor, having grown use to the frequency of missions that took us away from our kingdom. Typically, this was where our strength came from, for we took on only the most dangerous of tasks; fought the most dangerous of threats. And if we were lucky enough to survive, came back much more powerful than when we had left. Yet no matter our strong we were, there was no such thing as an easy mission, nearly my entire life had been built around facing monsters much stronger than me, and over coming them. If not for my friends though, I would have died years ago. A solo journey throughout the world not at all possible

This is why I so faithfully followed Xander, for I owed much to him, though unlike our sister, I was not devoted enough to claim life after life for him, recklessly destroying everything in his pursuit of victory. I would lay down my life for the man I believed in, but my hands would never find themselves drenched in the blood from the bodies left in his wake.

When we went to war under Xander, as we were about to now with the Golden Tongues, there wouldn't be a single drop of blood not shed in our conflict.

In all honesty, I held no love for the Golden Tongues myself, yet never would my hatred be so great as to wish their extinction, yet even so, I could no remorse or hesitation in taking the life of one of the tribesmen, having done so before, and would do so again until they no longer threatened my people. An act I found just as unforgivable as my sister, yet her rage was far greater than any of ours could ever be.

The only difference between her and I, in our reasons for killing, was that I did so rarely, only when it became necessary for survival, while she reveled in the death of our enemies, especially when it was for Xander and in the name of Winter-Moor; An act I wish she would become more hesitant in.

Whether or not she truly believed in our kingdom was unknown to me. All I did know, was that she was fiercely loyal to Xander for whatever her reason for being was, and would gladly go to war if it meant following him into it. I don't even think her lust for battle was anywhere near as intense as her devotion to our leader was.

Whether the path he walked was righteous or lead to ruin, it didn't matter to her, which could lead him to an even more destructive reign if his chaos was actively supported, but so long as I believed that there was no darkness or lust for power in Xander's heart, than I would gladly support his ascension to the throne of Winter-Moor as our king, but these days, it seemed bit by bit that his dreams were beginning to overtake him, but he was far from corrupt, though, until then I continued to watch for the day when the thought of becoming the new lord consumed his very being, and would pray that it never come to pass, for I would find no joy in having to kill my best friend.

Pushing these cynical thoughts of mine away for the time being, I made my way over towards the cave entrench, taking a minute outside for a stroll, to stretch my aching body. While the cold may not have effected me all that much, the fucking stone ground sure as hell did.

Breathing in the fresh, crisp mountain air, I walked along the same stone path we'd used yesterday on our way up, stepping away from the safety of my warband for a moment of solitude before we got back onto our task, to enjoy these little moments of rare serenity, taking a minute just for me.


	9. Chapter 9

Minecraft. The Stranger: Rewritten.

* * *

**Chapter 9.**

* * *

I hadn't even remembered falling asleep, walking up with a quick gasp as I shook my head, trying to get the feeling of exhaustion off as I scanned the cave for the wolves, having made myself that much easier of a target by falling into my deep slumber, cursing myself for having done such a thing.

Looking for the wolf that had taken me captive and the rest of her pack within the walls of the cave, I discovered that it had been abandoned well before I had awoken, no signs of any of the wolfs I'd seen the night before to be found.

Now sure I could rest a bit easier, I stood up, no longer feeling the numbing pains of any of my injures weighing me down any longer, brushing off snow that had attached itself to my body.

Reaching up to my face, I ripped off a few patches of ice from my flesh as I stared at it, wondering how it had formed in the first place as the den had not been cold enough for ice like this to form.

Taking off all that I could I feel, I finally began to notice the condition my body was in, having taken a few seconds to realize it.

Looking at myself more clearly, I found that my wounds had healed, and no longer felt the crippling pain from the cold I had, warmth having returned to my body. Not just that, but I felt more strength and energy restored as well, smiling as I was back in fighting condition, stretching all of my body to test it, finding no issues in any of my movement's, no aches that would other wise restrict me.

Whether or not the sleep had done this I was not sure, I could not explain the fully restored state I'd awoken too, only I could be glad I had awoken at all, especially with full strength.

For whatever the reason I still yet live and no longer helpless and in perfect condition, I was thankful for it, feeling a kind of strength I had not felt when I awoke on the beach, actually feeling even stronger.

Though if I would continue to live wasn't something I didn't like not knowing, looking outside the cave towards the clearing, the blizzard having stopped long ago, so no longer did it obstruct my view, and now that I was with sight once more that disadvantage was no more.

What awaited for me outside would soon be known, and come heaven or hell, I would fight if it came to that all the same.

Though I could no longer be sure what the wolves intended to do with me, seeing as how they'd left me alone so far, I did not stop expecting to come into a fight with them, prepared for the pack if they sought to challenge me.

Walking out towards the cave's opening, I looked up into the sky as the sun shined brightly, taking away any fear I may have still had, stepping outside into what would either be a dangerous lot of beast that would prove difficult to face by my lonesome, or creatures of peace that I had misjudged. No matter what I may find at the end of this tunnel, I did so with courage, the sounds of the wolves just outside the cave.

* * *

Through the frozen forest far from their home, the four children born of the snow kingdom marched on, intent on seeing their mission accomplished, no matter how difficult the road before them seemed, or how strong the defense force appeared to be.

The only female member of their little band of soldiers looked up into the sky, the clouds that showered them with more snow than was welcomed having long since faded, looking towards the great mountains that surrounded the golden lake, the very place these four had been deployed too, the same place they would find the invaders seeking to claim land that they had no business stepping upon.

For the crimes these people had committed against her own, she could find no mercy to show, nor did she have any wish too, walking on with the hope of laying waste to their pathetic and futile attempts to challenge them in a game of land grab that had been played for far too long.

The only thing keeping her acts of murderous passion in check was the boy leading them, who she hoped to the gods he would see fit to show off their power, which the Golden Tongues had no hope of ever matching.

In her opinion, that is what they desperately needed to do, show to their enemies that Winter-Moor was not afraid to spill blood, yet he is what held her back, the only thing keeping her hand from their throat.

She fully trusted him as their leader, knowing that if she had her way, it would plunge her people into numerous wars that even they would have no way of fighting. Her only wish though was that he would let her off her very short leash more often, as she craved the heat of battle, and longed for the blood that would decorate her blade.

Though with this particular tribe, she expected an imminent fight was approaching, and so she readied to let out her feelings hatred upon those that stood against them to release the building tension, ready to claim how ever many lives was necessary until the lesson had been learned, for she held an intense dislike for these savages Winter-Moor continued to have issues with.

And it was because of their bloodied history that she hoped today would be the final encounter before they put in end to the campaign these thief's had begun in hopes of stealing from them pieces of territory would be brought to its prolonged end. Though looking into Xander's eyes, she could see within him a hope of ending this with as little blood shed as possible, a normal hunger for battle replaced with feelings of exhaustion from this conflict, drawn out over the course of years, with no signs of peace anywhere in sight, something she could guess he was sick of waiting for.

It was this feeling she was able to pick up on that made her sure that the end of it was near, and that Xander would allow her to carve her way through to the peace he sought, for she knew he would one day find it.

Though the only way for peace to be possible, was if she destroyed the barriers that stood between him and it, which she would gladly do if he so wished it, but only if he could will it, for she could never forgive herself if she were to claim lives Xander himself was not comfortable with taking. Yet she would bare the burden of being cast into the role of the warmonger, the one those looked at with fear and disgust for their violent acts, for him, if it meant he could rest easier.

No matter how long it would take, no matter how many lives she need cut down, she would do so when Xander felt the time had come to claim the throne of Winter-Moor for himself, which she would help place him upon with a fucking smile on her face, for she knew that deep down, Xander desired this more than anything in the world, and when the that day was upon them, she would see him take it, for she knew he not only wished peace for the land of never ending snowfall they called home, but for the rest of the world.

For her, to look upon this young man, was to see the kind of strength it would take to claim the lives of those that stood in his way, to do what needed to be done, and if not by his hands, than by hers. The kind of strength he would need to lead others to their deaths until the fighting had passed, and peace was brought to the lands.

To see him king was her only dream, for if his hands were to take the throne, than she would be his sword and shield, for there was nothing she truly believed in and was loyal too more than he, not even of Winter-Moor itself.

His will, her hands.

* * *

Xander kept a steady pace on the rock path the people of past Winter-Moor had carved long ago, keeping a careful watch of all around him and his team, knowing that at any moment they could be walking into a trap, looking to avoid any direct confrontations with wandering patrols just yet, hoping to prevent any injures before the actual fighting had begun. He had to be quick though, for every moment spent in fear of the tribe and their trickery, the more treasure was stolen from their land.

His land.

This greatly angered him, for they had never once sought to claim what belonged to the tribe, though he was not enraged enough to go seeking a fight just yet, which he knew is what Zag sought, their very vengeful Shield-Sister. She may yet have her wish, which wasn't at all hidden from him, as his last meeting with the Golden Tongues had done nothing to ease the tension between the two sides.

To be the one people looked upon to protect them was a sight Xander knew well, for it was expected of him to defend Winter-Moor to his dying breath, a harsh responsibility placed on one so young he had yet to feel the touch of a woman, and younger still that it wasn't yet time for him to think of such things, yet still he managed to cope well enough, his learning the art of war and the warmth of blood against his face having done this to him long ago.

Though he faithfully and willingly served, it didn't make it right that so much was placed upon him.

Ever since he had first taken up a blade in the name of the Lords of Winter, this had been his life, and forever would it remain so. A life where every day was a test of his strength and leadership, for if he lacked in either category, than any of his mistakes would come with the cost of lives.

Not his own, but of his family, his brothers and sisters. And knowing this was maddening, and yet, he'd somehow made it this far, the only true comforts at the end of the day being his friends, they among the only few he actually cared for.

For he would do all that he could to ensure their safety, they being the only family he had left, the only thread of sanity he still had, and for each passing day was there threat of those bonds being severed.

And it was this fear of his that may just lead him to bloodshed, for this tribe had long threatened him and his people, though never directly.

This was the tribe of Golden tongues, and they held a particular fondness for gold. He didn't know why, as the many conflicts with them hadn't really given him the time to speak with a tribe member on such things, but they considered gold holy, the base of their religions, and sought to claim as much as they possibly could.

Though they were tribal, they were in some ways more advanced than those around them.

Somehow, these people had discovered away to create massive quantity's of gold, at least that's what they knew, if Xander believed the stories.

The'd never managed to capture any live Golden Tongue's for integration, so he doubted that there was any truth to these rumors, for these kinds of things were what Winter-Moor strived to discover, so for others to have learned how to do such a thing before they was not something he easily believed. Had they truly discovered something that was as great as this, then he saw no reason for them to continue to steal gold from the lands of others, but these were people who had based their entire faith off of the precious mineral, so he guessed they could never have enough, even if they could create it.

He understood what it meant to them, but the land they were taking it from was of a great resource to them.

Winter-Moor called it the Golden-River, and other times the Golden-Lake, and for good reason. For this large plot of land contained much gold to harvest, which his people relied on as an item of trade.

Winter-Moor was never short on supply of food, for only they had land that was able to handle farming on the scale that they did, for in this land of never ending winter, it was almost impossible to yield any sort harvest.

Yet the people of Winter-Moor were fortunate enough to have found territory where such things were possible, yet, even with their supply of food, they held no true power over the land they all lived and shared.

They controlled only a piece of the continent-though a very large piece-for this was the land of Snowfall.

It was a harsh land of winter that never almost never ceased, and the people of Winter-Moor were the best suited for the kind of harsh life one would find here in this land of ice. Though, it would be inaccurate to say this was a place of only icy hell, for at least two tenths of the land were free from winter.

While others did all they could to remove themselves of the frost from their lives, his people had embraced it, learned how to grow food in the worst land possible, to survive in it, thrive in it, become stronger because of it.

it was this reason that they held more territory than any other that inhabited Snowfall, for many other groups had longed abandoned the icy regions of Snowfall, leaving them alone to rule all that the snow touched.

And because they could survive such harsh conditions, their numbers were far greater than any faction that lived on or off of Snowfall.

Yet, there were many that knew just how to exploit the snow kingdom, for they held one fatal flaw.

Though their numbers were great and their people stronger than any, more skilled than those that they stood against, they were too poorly equipped to handle war on such a large scale. For all their strength, skill, and numbers, it all meant nothing of they lacked the proper tools.

Though their land was fertile and gold was plentiful, it lacked the much stronger materials, the kinds of things that was needed to properly supply the armies they possessed.

It was only thanks to the strength of the special forces that kept them from being truly controlled, for they were the strongest warriors that Winter-Moor had to offer, and therefore, all of Snowfall.

Yet even with these powerful fighters at their beck and call, there were many that were too scared of the losses they might suffer if they were to challenge the more dominate groups of Snowfall, to engage in the warfare needed to free them for their enemies, such as the Bloodtraders, who held an iron grip over them, which grew tighter everyday they were allowed to oppress Winter-Moor.

This group was smaller than most, but what they lacked in numbers, they made up for with stronger weapons; weapons that Winter-Moor did not have access too.

Xander knew though, that if they were to take their stand against them, to take their rightful place as the rulers of Snowfall, they would win within a few years, give or take. He knew the special forces were more than powerful enough to handle this task, and if they were to be given all the resources that Winter-Moor had at its disposable then it was possible, they just lacked leaders with the right amount of courage needed to send others to their deaths. Deaths necessary to ensure victory, and their freedom.

He swore though, that when it came time for him to be made king of Winter-Moor, no longer would he tolerate such things, that he would find the strength to do what need be done, no matter the sacrifice. No matter the cost.

No matter how many need die in the process. It didn't matter, freedom is what they sought, better lives for his people, better future's for the new generations, a future that did not depend upon children to become solder's.

Those that challenged his people would know the sting of winter, and would learn to fear it, to know what it meant to be afraid of the frost.

Zag was right in her belief that Xander desired the throne of the most potentially dangerous kingdom in the land. Though he would make no such claim just yet, for only when he had become as powerful as he could would he take it for himself, he was lucky though that he was leader of Alpha, for this was the perfect position to plan his ascension. And once Winter-Moor was his, so too, would Snowfall. And even beyond if it became necessary. All he need do is unite all of Winter-Moor under his banner.

As they moved on towards the center of where reports of the Golden Tongues had been last seen to have had taken up camp and of their last known location, he could just barley make out the sounds of chanting and laughter, more likely to be the tribe celebrating their newly acquired treasure trove.

Coming closer to the sounds, Xander began to smile. These were enemies that had long since plagued Winter-Moor and her children of snow, but his leaders had always been concerned with open war with these people when there were far greater threats to have concern for, and it was their lack of action that had made this tribe believe they had free reign over the land, but no longer would he tolerate it.

The Golden Tongues always sent large excavation teams, always too many for one team to handle.

But they weren't any one team; even if the rest of their brothers and sisters were elsewhere, and Xander grew tired of playing these games, so, this would be the final time he'd have to repeal them, and he and his siblings were more than a match for them, even with the rest of Alpha away.

He believed in the strength of his sword-arm and his team, and if Winter-Moor leaders were so scared of engaging the Golden Tongues head on, than he would be the one to do so.

This would be but one more step towards the throne, until we was ready to lead his charge to take it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Minecraft. The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter 10.**

* * *

The grounds before Tyler were filled with the wolves of the cave, both cub and full grown adult wolf alike, either laying together sharing words in their own tongue, or like the others who were partaking in friendly fights or the sharing of today's kills, though notably their numbers had dwindled from the night before, Tyler assuming others to be out on the hunt. His presence was seemingly ignored, as none there even turned to look in his direction, not acknowledging him in the slightest, giving more assurance that he could walk out of this with no fighting, for he had no wish to battle this many of them, especially if they had indeed saved his life, yet was still prepared if that moment were to come. He'd survived this far, and he'd like to keep it that way.

His viewing of the curiously strange pack was replaced by another sight, as he heard a quick bark coming from one wolf in particular he had become quite acquainted well enough with already, looking towards a large rock mound that stood tall above the rest of them, and on top of it sat the snow coloured she-wolf that continued to be is only reason for his extended life.

Sitting above the rest as she did, the great strength of this wolf was truly shown, establishing the fact she stood as the leader of the wolf pack, staring down at the boy as he looked to her and the two wolves nearly equal to her size at the base of the large mound, one with fur as black as death, and the other with fur was red as rage, Her protectors, he guessed. She was seen as the largest of the wolves there, and while the two guards of hers were of impressive size as well, their size was not nearly as great as hers. Under their gaze though, Tyler seemed small, weak, like prey.

This was a look he did not favor, feeling anger rise as his and the alpha's gaze met, though showed her the respect deserved of her position by looking back towards the ground, as showing her the same would have been a direct challenge to her, something he would not so foolishly do so long as he wished to draw breath, entirely sure he would not be able to go head to head with her guards, let alone her.

Putting the wolf from his mind, he began a walk through the clearing, avoiding any groups of the pack crowded together as he moved towards where the grounds of the wolf home ended. Any pack members he passed simply ignored his presence, taking no notice of the stranger or of why he was there as he walked by any of them. He had to admit, apart from their den-mother and her two protectors, none of the others looked overwhelmingly dangerous, the rest much smaller in comparison, though still noticeably bigger than Tyler himself.

It was...Strange, for Tyler to be able to freely walk among them all, not one wolf showing the least bit concern when he approached a wolf, or even a cub, as though they'd already known his scent for some time.

When he came to edge of the clearing, looking down upon the rest of the land, he noticed how much further up the mountain he was then he remembered; the mother wolf having dragged him quite the distance in the time he'd fallen unconscious.

Once his gaze had been turned, he caught sight of a path outside the clearing that lead further up towards his destination, just a bit off to the side of the cave, breathing a sigh in relief as it meant he could now continue on his path and be done with these wolves for the time being, and hopefully this whole gods forsaken mountain.

With one last look back at the great wolf shared between them, Tyler moved towards the stone path, hoping what he sought lay at the end of all this nonsense.

Yet, he discovered this to be a very unwise thing to attempt, finding himself falling back as the dark fur'd wolf seemingly dropped down from the sky, blocking his way.

Tyler quickly found his footing as he raised his fist up, not surprised that it had progressed to this, having expected it much sooner, only surprised by the sudden advancement of the wolf.

The sounds of a low growl was heard behind him, landing face first into the snow after having been pounced upon by its brother, its jaws open with a snarl as it stepped off of the boy, standing beside the other as Tyler was left to pick himself up from the ground, glaring at the two as he stood to shake off the snow.

The wolves took to a stance of aggression, looking past him towards their den-mother, who gave a small nod of approval towards the battle, the two lowering their heads with a growl as they stalked forward. Left with no choice, Tyler stood up to meet their challenge; he would not allow them to catch him on his back again so easily, raising his fist up as he rushed in towards Blood, the red wolf dashing back into the bushes and away from sight, having avoided a heavy strike swiftly.

With the wolf gone from battle for the moment, Tyler focused his attention towards Shadow, following through with a poorly aimed kick towards the dark wolf, easily avoided with a back-step, Tyler whipping back and nearly falling onto his knees, barley recovering enough to stand, not having expected the wolf to have dodged.

Though not fast enough to have returned to his fighting stance, Shadow launched himself forward onto his back, digging his claws into him viciously.

Unable to defend himself for the moment as he fell onto the snow, Tyler found his shoulder bitten down on, letting out a horrid scream of pain as his teeth latched on.

When Tyler began to feel blood pour down his arm from its jaws, he gritted his teeth as he reached up, gripping its fur as he dragged the beast off of him and threw it onto the ground, rising back up to his feet as he placed a hand over his torn flesh, his blood drenched in its jaws as the wolf rolled back into position, almost smiling as it tasted blood that dripped onto the snow, the sadistic bastard.

Tyler hissed at the beast as he pulled his injured arm back into a fist as he charged forth, recklessly enough that Shadow felt no need to move as it would have been wasted effort, Tyler foolishly leaning too far back into the hit, quickly lashing out towards the powerful wolf, only to have Blood latch its jaws onto his arm and yank him backwards, forcing the injured boy back onto the snow with a loud hiss as he collided with the ground once more.

This repeated scene quickly started to irritate him, glaring at the wolf as he rolled back and kicked his legs out, Blood stepping back as soon as Tyler had pushed off the ground, avoiding Tyler's legs swiftly.

Tyler weakly stood up against the continued assault of the wolves, panting from the blood loss and newly sustained injures, his right arm having become limp and useless the longer this fight was drawn out, quickly becoming exhausted.

This was no where near an equal fight, as Tyler had neither the strength nor skill to even hope of matching either of these wolves, let alone two of them.

Both wolves stalked towards the injured boy with a low growl as he raised his left arm up in defense of himself, still finding the strength to fight against his attackers as they moved in, not dead yet, and as long as he could still draw breath, he would keep going. Yet seemingly, all he could do was defend himself.

When the two lunged out at him, Tyler was only able to place his arm across his face and head to protect himself the best he possibly could, the wolves viciously raining down blow after blow, snapping their jaws and dragging their claws down on any part they could as Tyler did his best to save as much of his own body as he could.

The heat of the battle was in their blood, burning with the desire for combat against one who held no chance against the menacing threat they posed. This was only a boy they raised their claws against, while they were powerful, battle hungry and experienced creatures against one scared of the world he'd woken up too, of the shadow of the night and what lurked inside.

With one more heavy blow, Blood jumped straight into Tyler, biting down on his forearm as Tyler once more fell, their prey left with no defense against either of them now that his only movable arm as being bitten into.

He screamed out in pain as teeth dug into flesh, unable to raise his already damaged right arm against the large wolf to shake him off.

To prevent his only usable arm from being taken, Tyler did the only other thing he could think to do, slamming his forehead into Blood's snout with all the strength he could muster, the wolf yelping as it released its grip on him and fell back in line with its brother, shrugging off the hit as Tyler crawled back, tears stinging his eyes after a glance at his mangled arm, every movement of it forcing him to grit his teeth to cope with it.

Blood had recovered quickly from Tyler's hit, the wolves once more stepping towards him with jaws filled with his blood, a savage hunger for it still badly craved.

He did his best to push himself back onto his feet for a fruitless final attempt, despite the horrible burning pain in his arm as it was either that, or wait to die, only to fall back onto his knees, having nothing left to go on. All he could manage was a single glance towards the bitch that had brought him here in the first place, the snowy white den-mother staring down from atop the stone mound, watching as her children tore him apart.

Tyler glared hatefully at her, the wolves moving in as he looked towards their Alpha, as though he'd been brought to be their fucking play thing, clenching his fist as he struggled to stand. "Did you bring me here... just to be a toy?" Tyler growled at them, forcing even his right arm to move, slowly pushing himself up from the blood drenched ground as his body began to painfully and forcibly move. "Don't fuck with me..."

Tyler had reached his physical limit, yet he was far from done, clenching his fist in anger as he rose. "Don't fuck with me!" He screamed out for them all to hear.

Both wolves lowered their heads down in an aggressive stance, seemingly ready to end their game, blood dripping from Tyler's lips as he bit into them to help cope with the pain, taking his stand against the almost never ending onslaught of the wrathful creatures as they bared their teeth, prepared for one last strike as Tyler took what seemed to be his final breath in an effort to calm himself, shutting his eyes.

He didn't know if this is where it all had lead too, if his survival had been all for nothing, if his journey was to end before it had even begun.

But it wasn't how he wanted to die, not like this, so to hell with it!

* * *

I once more refused to bend my knee towards my fate, determined not to just sit back and play dead any longer while these two attacked me. I was going to fight until I'd breathed my last breath!

And with this renewed will to fight, I found the strength I needed to finally push back against these bastards, opening my eyes to find a light orange aura had enveloped my ahds, an orange tint pulsating from the rest of my body as well.

With a new feeling of power swelling within, I saw fit to unleash it, not holding back against those that had sought to fight and kill, the same coloured aura forming a sphere all around me as the two fell into it after lunging, trapping them both.

I had no idea what I had done, but it felt natural.

As the two hung in the air, I extended both my arms out, releasing the built up energy with devastating effects, the resulting blast sending the two wolves flying back, but scorching the area several feet around me, melting away the snow it came into contact with.

I began to smile as I watched the two barley pick themselves up from the ground, looking towards my hands as this strange aura surrounded around them, the rest of my body glowing with a brilliantly shinning sky blue light,

As I stood there, the pain and exhaustion of the heavy battle had seemingly vanished, feeling much stronger than I had in a while. Upon closer inspection of my wounds, I found them having been shut, no longer bleeding and the flesh no longer torn, amazing me even further.

And for a few moments, victory seemed all but assured as I clenched my fist, ready to charge in for retaliation.

Yet, as seconds passed, my breathing became heavy as I once more fell to my knees, pain having returned to my body as I fell.

The sudden burst of strength, the great amount of power I'd just wielded; Gone. Having lasted but a moment, and when that strength had faded I was left in the same weakend condition I had been, only entirely drained of any energy I might have had; Not even enough to stand.

And worst of all, the heavy attack I'd dealt had done nothing to slow down Shadow and Blood, both shaking off the damage it had caused as though there had been none to begun with, and were once more moving towards me, much more cautiously than they previously had, having seen me pushed to my breaking point.

I stared in horror of the wolves, no longer even able to raise my own arms in defense, and I doubted I'd suddenly unleash any more hidden strength, that fact having been a failed final stand.

And though I had made an impressive display, there was no mercy to be shown, the two lashing at as they began to savagely maul whatever part of my body that hadn't been broken and torn, my screams in agony echoing through out the mountain.

My pain would not end any time soon, even when they decided to cease their savagery.

...My Gods ...It had only just begun...


	11. Chapter 11

**Minecraft The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter 11.**

* * *

I didn't exactly know how long the torture had lasted; could have been hours, minutes, or even just a few seconds, I didn't know. Every moment they dug their fangs into my body or clawed away at torn flesh was nothing but agonizing torment, so I didn't exactly care, because each time a great deal of pain was dealt to me, it felt like an eternity was passing me by. Though by the time I had finally noticed the two had ceased their savagery, I was in too much pain to have been able to tell the difference, the severity of the brutality the two had dealt out unimaginably cruel.

I'd only managed to open my eyes up for a few brief moments, enough to look towards the wolves den as they all gathered into their home once more, a red trail of my blood leading from the broken shell that was now my body back towards the two wolves that had made a fool of me, having rather easily defeated me.

I knew they were stronger than me from the very start, but to have been more skilled as well was an even further insult. These two fought as one, incredibly fierce warrior; one I hadn't been able to even come close to matching. I didn't even have half of the strength that the two possessed, or even a quarter of it.

Though they could have dealt what would have been the final blow necessary to have killed me, they did not. Yet for whatever the reason they had for attacking me then and there, and why, was not known to me. I had believed myself prepared for a clash with them, had been expecting it the whole gods damn time, but I was so very, very wrong.

They hadn't killed me yet, strangely enough, having simply abandoned me to the clearing once they were through, leaving me with a far worse pain than when I had been freezing to death, which I desperately wished had taken me, because as the air atop the white mountain grew colder, I became convinced that this is where I would die, none of them bothering to drag me back into the warmth of the shelter a second time.

Having fought with everything I could possibly give and even more, I found myself once more resigned to this fate, no longer caring as this pain had become too much to bare.

I simply stared up into the sky, wondering about the death that I wish would follow soon and end this, and what that next life would be like, hoping that whatever was keeping me alive would kindly fuck the hell off, almost finding peace in the falling snow, no longer feeling the cold as I began to drift off into slumber, finding myself wrapped within a blanket of ice not long after.

I swore that I almost felt myself start to smile as my eyes closed, for what I prayed was for the final time. But the last thing that I saw was of the Alpha, jumping from the High-Rock down onto the snow, and began making her way back towards me, hoping she wasn't going to save me this time.

But something told me, that she wouldn't let me die so easily, laying next to me in my time of dying.

Strangely though, I felt no anger against her once she rested her head on my arm despite all that she had done; the torture she had subjected me too. Somehow, though, I felt comforted, knowing she was by my side.

* * *

**The Winter Four: Zag.**

* * *

The sounds of laughter and cheer grew louder with every step we took towards the camp our scouts had identified, courtesy of Zero and the advanced Scouting Legions.

There was only the lines of bushes and trees between us and a fight worthy of song, the kinds legends were born from. This is what we were here to do, bring an end to the Golden Tongues once and for all, knowing Xander had no choice but to grant my wish to unleash me, licking my lips in anticipation of the battle, my sword arm itching terribly, the blade I wielded having almost forgotten the taste of blood, and even longer the thrill of war.

Before we were to cross over, Xander stopped in front of us all, words to be spoken before battle. "Look, I know what we're all thinking," Xander began. "And no matter what, we will try and talk them down."

I started to grit my teeth in annoyance over these orders, and immediately protested against them. "Xander, they have no idea we're even here, now is our time to finish this once and for all."

Xander may have considered my words, yet not all those there agreed with me or my methods.

"We must still abide by our own traditions. We have always given our enemies fair warnings before battle." Zero spoke against the path of war.

"They would not leave the gold they have stolen, we know this. They must not be allowed to leave with it."

"Yet even gold is not worth lives, even if they are lives of invaders. The land is filled with it, and any stolen can be replaced. Lives can not."

"You would have us look weak then? In front of all?"

"I would have us the better men." Zero said as he looked to me with a look of disgust hidden behind his pale snow coloured eyes. Zero had never acquired the stomach for war, so I didn't blame him for his lack of will to spill blood, yet his attempts to dissuade Xander from the proper action to take was quickly beginning to piss me off. This is what needed to be done, and his augment against it would lead us to ruin, if not now, then sooner than he anticipated. The Blood Traders were already intervening in our Kingdom's affairs and extorting from us, this was a chance to show them all that Winter-Moor was not one to be trifled with. Yet Zero would see that passed simply to avoid any killing, even if those killed were the Golden Tongues, sworn enemies of the Winter Court.

Though he would certainly disagree with who exactly was misleading our leader, I knew Xander sought his counsel more often than my own, which I couldn't blame him for, as most of my words centered around extreme acts of violence, but in this I knew I was right, and I wished they would trust me in this, for I knew war better than they.

Before our debate could become any more heated than it already had, Xander signaled for our silence with a quick glare. "You both fight as though your actions dictate this teams actions. I am grateful for your advice, yet both of you quickly find your words silenced before I do it myself." He threatend the two of us, to which we quickly became hushed.

Once he had our full attention, he spoke once more. "While it is true I would sooner destroy the Golden Tongues than offer them the chance to back out, Zero is right. And I will not be the one to break our traditions. We will allow them safe passage if they are willing to cooperate." At these orders, Zero began to smile as he was who Xander had chosen to listen too. And I found my words ignored once more, turning away from the group as I crossed my arms, more angry at Zero than Xander, yet still incredibly irritated with him.

"Do you have a problem with my orders, Zag?" Xander asked me, turning my head back a bit to look at him. "No, of course not, Xander. If you wish it so, than I will refrain from my usual bloodlust."

Xander knew he had my loyalty, no matter what, turning back towards the Golden Tongues camp. "Good. We stand stronger united than at each others throats, so if its settled, let us proceed."

The three of us followed closely behind him as we stepped passed the cover of the forest, stepping into a large stone clearing, surrounded by chanting Golden Tongues, beating on drums as others danced around piles of precious gold, stacked in a circle surrounding a large bonfire.

Xander gazed around the small camp to get an idea of their numbers, showing slight worry as we walked forward. I tried to count all that I could see along with him, and there must have been about twenty of them, or more, I couldn't be too sure.

Of all those there, scars from previous battles decorated each of their bodies; A history of their life and hardships etched into their flesh. How these people were standing before me was a mystery, but I knew they had a hunger for battle that was almost as great as my own, and in this, I respected them, yet not even that would be enough for me to spare them for their transgressions against Winter-Moor.

As the four of us approached the band of tribesmen, they finally took notice of us, hastily grabbing for their weapons as they scrambled into position.

With every step we took forward, I became more sure that before this day was over, blood would be spilled.

* * *

**The Winter Four: Xander.**

* * *

The four kept a steady pace towards the unwelcomed tribe; Xander resisting drawing his blade to engage these people that had long threatend his home the moment they had reached for their weapons. He held no fear of the Golden Tongues in him, even when confronted with a force as large as the one before him. The only thing he felt at that moment was anger towards them; A burning desire to see each of their heads on a spike, all done by his blade, yet suppressed such thoughts, as giving into them would have made him more like Zag than he would ever want to be.

He knew that Zero was right in that he must at the very least give them the chance to abandon this place, even if it meant giving up the gold they had stolen, as not even it was worth the bloodshed, yet too knew that Zag was right to say what she did. The Golden Tongues would never so long as they believed themselves above retribution; To be infinitely protected from his hand by his own leaders.

And yet, he could not tell if Zag believed this simply because the Golden Tongues had committed an untold number of transgression's against their people, or because she was a warmonger, seeing war as the only solution to problems such as these. Maybe in her eyes, she saw herself only as a solider; Built for nothing else but war and destruction, and had simply embraced her role as a destroyer, believing it was the only thing she could do to serve her kingdom; Taking it upon herself to do what others could not, or were too afraid to do.

Taking a quick glance back at his sister with these thoughts in mind, he found a greater appreciation for what she did for him, always being the necessary evil when ever she need be.

And maybe, he didn't quite show how much that meant to him, yet for now, he could not allow her to be that person; Zero was right.

Bringing his thoughts back to their task, the warriors of the Golden Tongues had wasted no time in gathering their weapons and armor once Xander yelled out a warning to catch their attention, holding shields of steel and spears tipped with gold threateningly, Xander having to take great care to ensure that everyone walked away from this to fight another day, even they.

Xander raised his hands up before someone could give the order to charge, moving his hands from his weapons to signify he was no threat. "Hold. I came here not for battle, but to talk." He couldn't help but think his words fell on deaf ears, as not many of the tribe understood his language, and nor did he know their tongue. His only hope for peace resting on whether or not an old and most hated rival of his being there, as he knew from past experience that Taios spoke the same as he and his friends.

Many of the Golden Tongues knew his face well enough that they had learned to be afraid, and rightfully so, pacing around nervously and impatiently as many of them shouted words he didn't understand, most of them having faced him before.

"Hann færir vandræðum nálægt ættkvísl."

"Neita okkur gull okkar. Morð!"

"Hann er bara drengur."

"Barn, er hann, en nógu sterkt til að tortíma okkur."

"Hann mun. Við verðum að drepa þá. Hefna bræður okkar."

What ever words had been spoken last had done wonders to send the crowd into a blood frenzy, all of them chanting along with cries for death. "Drepa ís fæddur! Drepa ís fæddur!"

Xander didn't have to know their tongue to understand a call for blood when he saw one, reaching down for the handle of his blade once he saw the Golden Tongues start to crowd around him, his team doing the same once they saw the group a moment away from becoming violent.

"Xander, do something." Bid said as he pulled his twin blades free from their scabbard and stepped beside his brother to defend him.

Though looking around them, Xander became convinced that there was only one thing left for them to do; If he couldn't defuse the situation, he had no choice but to defend himself and his team. "I'm not sure there is anything I can do." Xander said to Bid with a glance at Zero and Zag, having drawn their weapons as well in anticipation of combat.

With the four expecting heavy assault, Xander too drew his weapon and took to a defensive stance, not knowing what else could be done to avoid the fighting.

As Xander readied himself for another clash with the tribe, a familiar voice rang out from among the Tongues, one Xander knew well. "Pögn! Og skref í burtu!"

The very moment these words were yelled out, the tribesmen stepped back, no longer pointing their weapons towards Alpha, Xander breathing a heavy sigh in relief.

The Tongues moved into formation as one among them stepped forward, his body decorated in strange symbols that were in reality, scars from won battles, and one of the many warrior masks his tribe wore, resembling a terrifying demon with horns; The mask being his rank as a warrior within the tribe. As for the scars, they were another story all together.

Xander had heard that for every life a Golden Tongue claimed, they would take a knife and right then and there, carve into their own flesh a symbol that signified their kill. And out of every Golden Tongue there, Taios was the one most heavily covered in these emblems, a reminder of his position as WarChief of the tribe; the strongest warrior this tribe possessed and one Xander was all too familiar with.

Taios walked ahead of his tribe, leaving the others behind as he confronted Xander and the rest of Alpha, knowing that if the two did come to blows, he was more than capable enough to take on the four alone; Taios one of only a few that could do such a thing.

Had Taios allegiance not been with the Tongues, Xander would have made every attempt to recruit this powerful fighter into Alpha; a most valuable asset indeed. Yet this was not the case, viewing him as nothing but wasted talent, fighting for his tribe of savages.

"Hello, Xander." Taios greeted the son of Winter-Moor as though he was an old friend, to which Xander did the same, bowing in respect due his position. "Taios."

The WarChief looked to the rest of his tribe before signalling for them to calm, the Tongues quickly obeying and laying their weapons upon the ground and sat, showing he was not ready to fight. Xander returned the peaceful gesture in kind by sheathing his own blade, his brothers and sister following in suit.

Getting right to his point, Xander began their talk. "Taios, under orders of Winter-Moor, I must ask you to abandon this place now, and leave in your place any gold you have taken from these lands."

This caused Taios to let out a small laugh as he began to reach for his mask. "My friend, you mistake my attentions," he said as he took a hold of it. "I only commanded them to halt because I know you must offer us the chance to leave, which we will do once we have the holy treasure."

Xander narrowed his eyes angrily as Taios spoke as though the land he stood on was his, stepping forward towards him. "If you did not come to talk of peace, then why are you standing before me?"

"It only seemed honorable to offer you the same thing, but we both know that's a lie. We know how this ends between us," Taios said as he freed his face from the mask, revealing what lay underneath, disturbing those that looked upon him, his left eye having been torn out from its socket, leaving behind nothing but a dark pit, and surrounding it, terrible burns all across the side of his face, Taios smirking as he looked at Xander, both staring into each other. "By the time we have finished words, one of us will be leaving, or dead, and if you have not convinced me of anything than I will have no choice."

How Xander could still face Taios after having seen this was beyond his siblings, but only he knew the reason behind his missing eye, it being the only thing keeping Taios' hands from their throats for the time being, yet for how much longer he couldn't say.


	12. Chapter 12

**Minecraft. The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve.**

* * *

**The Winter Four: Zag.**

* * *

Zag impatiently paced around her waiting brothers as they sat around a small campfire, Zero writing something down in a journal he was known to carry with him; The contents of which Zag didn't know, nor did she care too, while Miz sat and meditated in silence, yet Zag was too concerned to rest, looking towards the tent Xander and Taios had disappeared into only minutes ago, her arms crossed in her worry for Xander, having no idea how he could have agreed to such a thing like talking alone with one of their greatest enemies, knowing full well how dangerous the WarChief was when fought alone. Xander was incredibly strong in his own right, and she full-heartedly believed he could hold his own against him for a small amount of time, enough for the rest of Alpha to engage, but he'd fought Taios before, and had barley been able to do that, add that together with the numerous other tongues in his party and there was the perfect shit-storm brewing right in front of them.

She wasn't too fond of the looks the rest of the tribe was giving her either, every so often catching a dirty look from one of them; a sneering smile directed at them or a rage filled flare quickly making her temper rise as she gritted her teeth in annoyance.

Bid looked up from his meditation after having been accidentally kicked by an oblivious Zag, too wrapped up in her wild thoughts to notice the rest of the world around her, seeing the anger and concern on her face rise once he looked up at her, knowing full well what would happen when a passionate Zag lost control of herself. "Calm yourself, little sister." He advised her as she stormed about, Zero rolling his eyes as he turned away to ignore one of her usual tantrums, focused more on his writing.

"How aren't you concerned? Xander is in there by himself with some one eyed freak who has a personal grudge against us, and particularly against Xander." Zag said with a huff at his lack of action when Xander agreed to this insanity, letting his own flesh and blood go in alone and unarmed. Xander and Miz being the only true blood in their Warband.

"Taios won't harm him. Not like this, and not after giving us his word." Miz said to her, entirely sure that Taios would honor his part of this temporary truce, for if nothing else, the Tongues had honor for strong warriors.

Yet Zag didn't share his confidence in this, believing that the WarChief had planed something behind their backs, having too much hatred for the Tongues to believe anything else.

"Xander believed this, which is why I don't need to worry. He knows what he's doing. Unless you doubt him." Miz said with a smirk as Zag whipped back towards him the moment he spoke. "No, of course not. Never." She told him, Miz having known her response to having her faith in him doubted.

"Then sit and stop worrying, your constant pacing isn't doing anything to help ease the situation." He said before closing his eyes once again, deep in his own thoughts as Zag took a place beside her brothers, still every so often shooting a look towards the tent, half expecting Xander to come tumbling out with a dagger to his throat.

Though, the longer she looked upon the cover, her thoughts drifted onto something else, a burning questioned she needed answered.

"His eye...That was Xander, wasn't it?" She asked as she looked to Miz for the answer, her brother nodding in response. "None of us can cause burns like that, and Xander's the only one of us to have ever fought him, let alone survived."

Her curiosity had become that much greater over this, causing her to forget her worry for the time being, much more interested in this tale, as Miz and been the only one on the team to have arrived after Xander's fight with Taios, the two never having spoken of it for their own reasons.

Yet if it would keep her preoccupied, then Miz had reason to break his silence, if only to keep her quite for a minute. "When I came across the two, Xander was bloodied and just barley breathing; Taios having broken just about every single one of his bones. His body broken in place's I didn't think he'd ever recover from."

As Miz began, Zero perked up after having heard this, his own interest peaked as well, listening intently to this story, just as his sister.

"Their weapons were broken sometime during the course of the battle, so I guess they'd taken to hand to hand; Only, Taios' hands were completely covered in both bruises and Xander's blood. There was barley a scratch on him, unlike Xander, who must have fought like hell to deal what little damage he could," The more Miz spoke, the more they could tell how unnerved he was, the image of her brother's broken and mangled body still fresh in her mind. They could all remember how close Xander came to dying that day.

"Seeing Xander like that, I was so surprised to find he'd still managed to beat Taios, given the state I'd found him in. After I saw to Xander, I decided to see if Taios was still alive, if only to kill himself for having brought that kind of harm upon my brother." The two younger brother and sister didn't know how to feel when he admitted this to them, hearing of Miz speak of vengeance wasn't something either of them were use too.

"Nearly all of his body had been left untouched; all but one part of it," Miz explained to his siblings as he placed his hand over the left side of his face, as though he could have felt the pain Taios must have been in. "Around his eye had been burned beyond believe, these wounds the worst I'd ever seen Xander inflict on another. I can only imagine how scared he must have been to have resorted to such a thing. To unleash such a devastating attack like that."

Thinking back to Taios' wounds, Zag once more found herself scared for Xander. If something like that had happened to her, her every thought would be filled with nothing but vengeance, so she could only imagine what was going through the tribesmen's mind, being so close to the boy that had taken an eye from him.

And yet, thinking of the subject more, Taios hadn't acted as though there was any bad blood between the two, other than the usual bickering between general's of opposing sides. Even then there hadn't been any particular hated beyond that, making her wonder just what was going on in the tent, and what exactly the two could be talking about.

* * *

**The Winter Four: Xander.**

* * *

Xander held a stone cup given to him by Taios, who had just poured whatever he had been boiling into it, the cup filled with gods know what. It stunk and probably tasted like piss, but Xander didn't want to be rude by denying the refreshments offered to him in good will.

When Xander had been given his drink, Taios filled his own cup before sitting across from him, smiling at him as the two toasted before Taios took a sip from of the strange mixture, his face almost twisting in disgust, which Xander found amusing as it was his own tribe's drink, yet Xander found himself doing the same when his lips touched the fowl beverage, having found it tasted even worse than he'd first predicted

"Yeah, sorry. Its all we have." Taios apologized as he quickly downed it all, managing to keep himself from vomiting it up.

"What the hell is this exactly?" Xander inquired about whatever in the name of his respective gods he'd just drank, wanting to know if it was about to kill him or not.

"Various herbs from my tribe's lands. We drink it to refresh our spirit's; to strengthen our bodies and to cleanse ours souls." Taios said with a chuckle as he sat his cup down, Xander having only been given another question to ask. "Cleanse your souls?"

Taios nodded in response to this, keeping his smile as he spoke, yet Xander could hear the sorrow in his voice. "I have killed a great many people, Xander. Both friend and foe alike. And for every time I take a life, it corrupts my very being bit by bit. So every day I must go through certain rituals to ensure my spirit remains pure, so that if I were to die, I may pass on to the next world without my sins attached. Yet being WarChief, my ritual's are much more...painful... My death toll requires something much...stronger..."

Learning this, Xander began to feel some strange connection to Taios, wanting to hear the rest of his tale, needing to understand something. "Do you...Ever regret all the lives you've ever taken?" He said, not just as a question for him, but to himself.

Taios didn't even have to think about it, answering honestly to Xander. "You and Winter-Moor are not my enemies, you are my tribe's enemies. I am simply fighting their battles because I am sworn to do so, killing on their behalf. I have been fighting a war that has been waged long before I was born, so for every life I have ever claimed in the name a conflict I never had any say in weighs me down greatly."

Xander found himself greatly surprised to be told this, and even more so that Taios was so open with him about these so very personal topics, having never expected a Tongue to feel remorse for shedding blood from his people.

Somehow, looking upon Taios, he felt a tang of guilt for having never even considered just what exactly the wars they fought had done to the youth of the Golden Tongues, having only ever known what it had done to himself.

At that moment, he found himself more connected to Taios than anyone he knew, Taios having been drafted to fight a war that was only his because he was born into it.

Looking upon Taios' face, he now truly understand just what these conflict's had forced even children to do in the name of their respective kingdom's; what it had forced Xander to do in the name of his beloved Winter-Moor. And for the first time, he could look upon the scars he'd given Taios and feel some form of remorse.

Taios noticed where Xander's gaze had gone, softly placing his hand upon the injury inflicted by Xander.

"I wasn't trying to burn out your eye. We were fighting, and I was just wildly throwing my fire in every direction." Xander said, apologetically.

Taios kept a warm smile as he remembered that day. "Don't be. I didn't give you much of a choice."

It felt strange to Xander, to sit and talk like this with someone that was suppose to be his enemy, yet it didn't feel like he was, that feeling having faded, along with his anger.

"Besides, I didn't lose my eye because of you."

Hearing this, Xander found himself not believing these words. "The burns though,"

"Your fire severally damaged my eye, but it didn't burn it away," Taios said as he pointed to a kill symbol etched into his flesh. "When we kill, we mark ourselves, to contain the part of ourselves that has been tainted by death. Yet we are still very much a warrior tribe, so much so that when we lose a fight, we mark ourselves in another way."

Xander began to feel a sense of dread as Taios explained the ancient laws of his tribe , Xander finding them increasingly barbaric, though the worse had yet to come. "When we lose a battle, we take something from ourselves, as a sign of our failure. It doesn't need to be something so extreme, but I knew what my sign would be," His sign he pointed too; the eye Xander thought he had taken. "My loss to you, was my only loss in battle ever, as such, I took from my body something precious, to signify how important it was to me."

The meaning behind these words wasn't something Xander easily understood, not sure that he ever could. "Why? Why was it so important that you needed to make sure you forever remembered it?"

There was something behind Taios' eyes, some deeper meaning to what he was saying to Xander that the teen wasn't understanding, yet somehow it was so clear, Xander was only blind to it. "You are the only person to ever stand against me and win. The only person to have etched upon my body a symbol that hadn't come from my own hands. I was the one who removed my eye, but you marked me. With you, I could fight and not kill with all the strength I had."

"I don't understand." Xander said, becoming nervous at how passionate Taios had become over this, yet that faded as Taios turned away from him. "Maybe its better that you never do."

"Your fucking traditions don't make any sense to me." Xander said over how brutal they were, angry that his own people would teach him to carve into his own flesh after battle just so it could be purified, his marks forever reminding him and the world of his own murderous past, something Taios desperately wished to forget. An act he could not so easily do, his hands drenched in too much blood. Though Xander was no different.

Taios simply chuckled at this. "'Yeah. You think I want to be fighting over gold? My people can make it, yet its so gods damn holy to us that I'm out here, risking my life to make sure no others have even an ounce of it."

"I thought all you Tongue's were entirely in love with it." He said with a small laugh, Taios sharing in it.

"I couldn't care less about my tribes obsession with it," His next words, were what brought both of them back into their reality. "But I'm sworn...To carry out my tribe's commands...Same as you... That's why were both here."

"That's why we're both here." Xander and he spoke these words together. And both of them instantly realized at that moment, that this day could not end without blood, yet Xander had to try, especially now that he found someone who could understand him. He could not lose that. "Taios, please. Just this once, abandon your campaign, tell them we arrived with too large a fighting force before you arrived."

Taios was filled with regret, knowing he could not fulfill this request. "I can't Xander...Just like you can't let me leave with the gold."

Xander was overtaken by this truth, knowing there was no way out for either of them without one of their deaths, for if Taios asked the same of him, he would be unable to do this. Xander almost couldn't bring himself to think about a fight between them after this, but almost as if their conversation had never taken place, Taios seemingly returned to the WarChief Xander had always thought him to be. "I will gladly take leave of your land, so long as we are allowed the treasure my excavation party has found."

Xander knew that Taios had switched back because they were left no choice but to fight and could no longer handle the open conversation between them, Taios wanting to get it over with, now forced to forget any sort of connection the two had felt in their short time together, and now he too must return to his ways as well. "That won't happen. This is Winter-Moor land, and everything in it belongs to us. Including your dead bodies should you refuse my only warning to leave."

"Watch who you threaten, Xander. Unless it is war that you seek." Taios said as he stood, hurt in his eyes that he tried to mask as anger, how ever false it may have been.

"Then I will have war!" Xander screamed out as he turned to leave the tent, not able to look back at Taios, knowing that if he did he just might be tempted to let them leave with the gold, something he knew he couldn't do; but now the thought of having to kill Taios had invaded his thoughts, and it too, was something that he didn't know if he could bare, the thought of it unbearable. This could only end in one way.

And Xander had to be sure it didn't end with him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Minecraft. The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter 13.**

* * *

Upon the snowy mountain she sat; her nose buried into his sides as he slept off his battle to watch over him. Once more having injures inflicted upon his body; an act her children had carried out on her orders, something that she had been forced to do to have kept him from leaving.

The sun would be setting soon, taking with it their only true means of protection from the creatures of shadow, causing the den mother to worry for not only her own family, but for the child in front of her, whom she had caused much pain too.

Look upon the sleeping youngling, she felt immense guilt for her actions, yet had she allowed him to continue on towards the mountain's peek, he would have only gotten himself killed, and today had only proven how weak he was, the dangers he would have faced a much greater threat than she or her children were; threats that would require great strength to overcome and he possessed neither the strength nor skill to accomplish such a task, having barley been able to stand against her two strongest sons let alone what hunted them, the brothers having heavily restrained themselves against him in today's fight and yet still he had lost, having given everything he had and more in the fight just to stay on his feet, as poorly as he had done.

Though when he had finally been able to summon all of his strength against the two in his breaking point, she had become impressed with him, yet still knew how much further he would need to go before he ever beat even one of them, or be able to stand against them both. He nearly lost his life had the two not been trying to kill him or having gone all out.

This was her test for him and until he could pass, he would never be allowed access to the swords he sought, the two weapons far too powerful for him to wield without their power destroying him in the process, and this she could not allow to happen, yet at the very least knew they should be returned to him. When the time was right for that was something she did not know, but he needed all he could get.

Looking up to the sky as the sun inched its way towards its slumber, she rose to her paws with a loud howl that summoned Blood and Shadow from the den to her side, the two quickly rushing out towards the sound of their mothers call.

The den mother gave a quick bark with a glance over towards their injured sparring partner, ordering the two to keep watch over the young boy for the time being, having something that demanded her attention and would take her away from her pack for sometime, the two the only ones she could trust to watch over him. They not only being her strongest children, but knowing the two had quickly formed a bond to the child during their fight, having gained their respect from how much spirit he had shown during their skirmish and as such the two would guard him to their dying breaths. Her wolves tended to develop bonds to those they fought with. The others had not fought against him yet, so their would be no such loyalties, but in time they too would grow to protect them as they would her or any other member of their pack.

Both of her sons took to different positions beside him at once following her command, intense stares forming once the two went to work.

Knowing they would not fail her in protecting him, she made her way back towards his body, covering her muzzle in as much of his blood as she could, needing it for where she was going.

Having gathered enough of it, she quickly took to the path Tyler had attempted to leave on, knowing her time was short as the dreaded night would soon be upon them, she kept up her top speed for as long as she was able, blazing past everything in her way, letting nothing stop her.

If Tyler had taken the walk up before, he would have been looking at a five or six hour climb up, even if he had ran every step of the way.

Yet she was much larger than her new pup, and while a six hour run may have been much for him, it was much less for her, as she was much larger than the rather small Tyler.

With danger so close to her pack, she had to put everything she had into her sprint, and more if she wished to return before the moon was up, and with it her enemies.

For her great speed, the trip took her about thirty minutes to finally reach her destination, almost panting as she strode into the clearing, glad to finally be able to rest from the run, though not so much when she set on her sights on this place once more, only doing so because Tyler needed this, otherwise she would have never returned. She was giving him a chance to survive, that was all that mattered.

She looked upon the site with a painful gaze as she stepped upon the battlegrounds of Tyler's last great battle, a fight she had arrived too late to help him and the same spot he had nearly truly met death, having only just escaped by the skin of his bones, but as a result of having done what he did to escape, he had lost much of his strength during the time he spent in his death like sleep, and awoken to a world he did not recognize, having become a Stranger in the same land that he'd once called home. That time he had slept seemed to have damaged his memory, as he had not recognized her. In time she hoped this would change once he'd recovered, but this could have been irreversible for all she knew

She could only imagine how terrifying this was for the young boy, no longer having a home to return, no friends to turn too in his time of need, if he could still remember where this place was and who these people were. And if not, then maybe that was for the best.

She bowed her head in shame over having almost lost him once, it having been her job to keep him safe from this kind of harm. Yet ever since he had returned to her, she became that much more determined to take up her role as his guardian now more than ever, swearing that this time she would not fail. That was why she stood here now, gazing upon the swords as she stopped in front of them, almost having second thoughts about this.

Both of the swords had become gray from having not been active for some time, their power dormant; asleep, just as their master had been. But with his return, so too must his weapons. For their power was needed once again. They alone were the only ones that could best protect him now.

There would come a great cost with restoring the blades, yet for Tyler, she would gladly do so, splashing his blood upon both blades without any further hesitation, then quickly moving back from the area as both swords began to emit a shinning light, both glowing in their respective colour's as their power began to return.

As they began to regain their full power, both swords colour began to as well, one becoming as dark as night, the other having a brilliantly beautiful aqua colour.

The mother wolf quickly shut her eyes as the blades light increased to an incredible point, sending out two large beams of light that lit up the sky, signaling the blades were alive once more, their masters blood having brought the two back from their long rest, their slumber now brought to an end.

To those that gazed upon the strange occurrence would have no idea what it meant, both beams so bright it was if morning had come early, yet she alone knew the meaning of this though, as she had been the cause of this, having awoken the guardians of the blades from their long sleep, having sought the council of the two out for reasons concerning Tyler and what to do with him.

What she had not known, was that by bringing life back to the blades, she had revealed that Tyler still yet live, bringing an ever greater danger towards the boy than she first believed, as one such demon watched from the shadows, snarling as it set out towards the source of the light, knowing its prey had returned.

When the light finally faded, darkening the almost night filled sky once more, she looked back towards the blades, two figures standing before her now, each one covered in an aura that matched the sword they represented, transparent as well; the Diamond guardian giving a polite nod towards the one that had returned his life to him, to which she returned, while the Obsidian guardian simply looked about the clearing for Tyler, figuring the boy was nearby as he and his brother stood in this world once more, stretching his limbs as he had been gone for quite some time.

The mother wolf stepped closer to the two before sitting in front of them, both kneeling down to her so they could speak. "Winter, I imagine we have much to discuss." The Diamond guardian began with his brother nodding.

"We've been gone for some time. What has happened in our absence?" The Obsidian guardian said with an impatient tone, having no clue as to the events that passed since they first slept.

"Catching up will have to wait brother," his twin told him before turning back to Winter. "First of all; the boy, he still lives?"

Winter nodded in response to his question, the two relieved to learn this.

"Good. Good. I do not know how what has happened or why you did not bring him here with you, but we must return to him at once."

These words when spoken had clearly upset his Obsidian brother, who quickly stood in protest. "Hold your words, brother," he began as his twin turned to face him. "When we were last held by him, had already proven himself strong enough to wield us."

"Your point?" The guardian asked his meaning, crossing his arms over this argument.

"Before, he was much stronger than the two of us, yet now I can't even sense him. He was become weaker since we slept. To a dangerously low point." He pointed out to his twin, the other finally seeing what he meant; The Diamond twin unable to detect Tyler either.

"I will not allow myself to be held by just anyone, and if he has lost this much power, than I will not give him my blessing's."

Hearing this, Winter began to growl at the guardian, rising to her legs as she lowered her head aggressively; this kind of talk endangering Tyler as he needed them both now.

The Diamond guardian raised his hand in his brothers defense the moment Winter threatened him. "Winter, please. I know you don't wish to hear this, but he is right," he told the angry den mother as she looked towards him, shocked to hear his agreement in this.

"I care for him as well, but I too will not grant him my power if he lacks in his own. We are tools for defense, only to those that can defend themselves; but we are also tools for war, only to be wielded by those with the strength to wage it."

Winter could see their point, but felt great disdain for the two; seeing this as a betrayal to Tyler, one whom they were pledged to serve.

"Don't give me that. You know this is how it must be." The Obsidian guardian said in support of his twin's words.

Though nothing could be spoken by Winter herself, the two could hear her words without her needing to speak them.

"I understand that, but this is for his own saftey," He explained to her. "If he doesn't posses his own power, ours could easily destroy him. And I imagine you wish to keep him alive now that he has returned."

Winter bowed her head in this revelation, knowing the two were right in this, yet that didn't mean she wasn't disappointed. At they very least she wished for them to speak with Tyler, maybe answer any questions he might have had. But for the moment that didn't seem like it would be happening.

Seeing this, the Diamond guardian knew as well that they must be returned to him, yet that time wasn't now. But he did believe he could come up with the solution to their troubles, wanting to be used once again by the greatest master they had ever known. "What he needs to wield us once more is to regain his lost power. You must take it upon yourself to see that he does."

Hearing this said to her, Winter raised her head up to the two, not sure if she could do as they asked. "His connection to his energies has likely been broken, so the first thing that must be done is to restore it. Strengthen his body and his mind, sharpen his skills, then return here with him; we shall help restore his link, and we shall test him then. We shall return to him only when he has proven himself."

With his final words spoken, the two vanished from sight, having returned to the blades they were housed in before the light produced from swords vanished, the blades returning to their normal colour's once more.

Winter only stared at where they had stood, unsure of she could do this task they had given her. Tyler had likely lost his ability to understand her, which would make this all the more difficult.

As she turned to leave, her thoughts were filled with just how she was to train the young boy, unsure if he would trust her after his clash with her sons, or if he could even gain the strength to match the guardian's and earn their service as he had done once before.

There was some hope to this, as he could still seemingly call upon some of his original power when he'd reached his breaking point during the fighting; somewhat sure that he could learn to harness this once more for longer periods of use and at his own choosing.

It wasn't much to go on, but she trusted that Tyler could rise to meet this challenge, pushing aside her doubts as she broke into a sprint; making her way back to her home with haste, great dangers approaching much sooner than she had anticipated.


	14. Chapter 14

**Minecraft. The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter 14.**

* * *

It was the rise of the sun that woke me; my eyes opening up to the new dawn as I sat up from the ground, yawning from rest as I rubbed the dust of sleep from my eyes.

I stood up from the stony ground and stretched each of my limbs; my muscles still sore and aching from the poor excuse for a bed I'd been forced to sleep on. Which I guess was better than nothing, because nothing short of a bed on nails couldn't have made it any more terrible than it already was.

I took note of my body's current state after having shrugged of the feelings of slumber and once more tearing from my skin patches of ice, my wounds having healed entirely from my fight with Shadow and Blood, feeling only the fatigue of a hard nights sleep weigh me down, but it was easy enough to turn my thoughts away from it, focusing my attention more on the wolves of the cave than anything else, the pack having become a very real threat to me yesterday.

For whatever the reason my injuries continued to be healed no longer concerned me, for I was only glad that they had, meaning I would not be such an easy opponent now that I had once more returned to full strength.

Well...Not as easy as I would be if I was weakened...I wasn't strong enough to take on the twins, or most likely any of the wolves that lived upon this mountain for that matter. I wasn't exactly sure of my place in this world yet, not having tested myself against anyone other than Blood and Shadow, and that test had ended pitifully, for my strength nothing when compared to theirs so I had no idea where I stood among the creatures of the land. I could only hope that I would not encounter anything stronger than those two, and if I did I just hoped it wasn't out to kill me.

The two may have almost killed me, yet I still breathed, so something had stayed their jaws for the moment. If this was the case and the two continued to fight without killing me than I would gladly take the two's savagery over an even more powerful foe that sought my death.

Though I could not stand by and wait for the two to catch me off guard like that again, I would not allow it to happen. I would be more weary of the pack from now on, yet still, the next time we fought could very well be the last I ever raise a fist, so I needed to either escape to buy myself enough time to train, or see that I become strong enough to face them on equal footing as soon as possible. Which ever one I choose though, I would need to do so quickly, feeling that greater danger was fast approaching, and not just that of the wolves.

When the fatigue of my body left, I looked to them all, taking notice that many of the pack were either still asleep themselves, or just unaccounted for, with Shadow and Blood among those that were were gone, which I was immensely glad for, not looking forward to see the two so soon after the fight. I also didn't spot the den-mother within the sleeping pack, giving me much relief, as none of the dominant wolves were there to keep me in the den, giving me plenty of time to maul over my options.

Before I walked out of the cave to take some time for myself, I cast a glare at the pack before me, burning with anger that was aimed towards the two absent brothers for their treatment of me the previous day before turning away from the slumbering pack, making my way towards the clearing as I stretched my limbs as much as I could.

Stepping out onto the site of yesterdays battle, I walked myself over to the edge and looked down upon the land in front of me, taking in the sites as I sat and dangled my legs over the edge of the cliff, in my thoughts of the events as of late as I looked beyond the borders of this mountain.

While I may have felt fear from being so high up previously when I was making my way here, I held no such feeling today as I looked out across the forest.

I hadn't been able to truly appreciate the sights until now, admiring the snow blanketed land around me, feeling some sense of calm the more I stared out into the world.

Though for a few moments I had found some form of peace, I became sad because of it not long after.

I had found that there was much beauty within these lands; Something beyond the almost endless death and chaos of a world I did not know, and yet, I knew that for the time being, this place, these wolves, were all I would know.

I knew I could not face the dangers of the land yet, for I was weak.

Too weak to tread across the dark corners of the world; too weak to have beaten Blood and Shadow; Too weak to have defend myself.

Too weak for this world.

For whatever strength I might have had during my fight with the creatures was now denied to me, possibly gone forever.

I could remember the feeling of the power that coursed through my body when I had fought back against the creatures that night; to know what it meant to be strong enough to stand on my feet in the heat of battle against relentless foes.

But that feeling was gone, replaced with a dark fear of what the future held.

It was almost enough to bring about tears, but I wouldn't allow myself to do that. Not yet.

If I was going to survive, I'd need to harden my self; become as cold and harsh as the land around me, maybe even more so. For this, I believe, is what would make me strong enough to stop feeling scared; to deny myself to save myself.

I could not know what life would be left for me if I did this as I sat and wondered, gazing up into the clear sky as I thought of what would need to be done if I went down this path, of what I would do; what kind of person I'd become when all was said and done.

When I had reached that end, if by then I had lost myself, I could only hope I was able to turn away from what I'd turned myself into. And yet I wondered if it even mattered, for I did not really know myself to begin with.

Upon this mountain I swore that I would do what needed to be done to survive. No matter what, I would overcome my fears, become strong enough to reclaim my past, and find my place in this world.

* * *

**Special thanks to those that have reviewed the story.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Minecraft. The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter 15.**

* * *

The night had been long for Winter and her two sons, having gone out to hunt for any creatures that may have entered their territory in an attempt to remind the other monsters of the night to stay away from her home and her children, having left along with the twins not long after having arrived back at the den to deposit Tyler into the cave where he would be safe for the remainder of the night and to gather the twins to her side before the three left to secure the territory.

While the rest of her pack wouldn't risk life and limb for the child quite yet, they would fiercely defend the cave to the their last wolf if something other than another pack member attempted to enter, ensuring his safety for the time being, and she needn't worry about the other members of the pack getting any ideas about finishing him when he was in his near death state or challenging him, as she had forbade such things to ensure his safety and none would dare disobey her.

She would have preferred to have had either herself or Blood and or Shadow present to stand guard over him and keep him protected to better ensure his protection, but things stirring within the forest had called for their attention, and the twins would be better served out in the field; the two her packs strongest wolves right after her.

Normally they needn't bother enough to worry about patrolling the night, as there were only ever a few creatures that dared step foot onto the mountain let alone the borders of their territory, either to seek a challenge or because they did not know where they stand, yet this time was different. Very different. Normally it was only a few creatures that trespassed that they had to deal with, but never as many as the night before.

Creature activity had been rather high during the hunt, worrying the den mother as she began to think Tyler's return was connected to this, having always managed to attract danger to himself when she still served under him before.

And if that was true, that the creatures were flocking from all the dark corners of the land because they were drawn to him, than the boy was possibly in even greater danger then she initially believed, something she did not know if they were prepared to handle. Yet in the darkness that threatened them, there was hope; always was there hope. For the creatures were naturally attracted to those of immense strength, and if the amount of creatures they had seen was of any indication, then he was indeed powerful.

Yet until he could harness his strength to its full potential, her pack would have to remain as his guard. She had seen it during his fight so she knew that he had promise; It was there, she just needed to bring it out. But until he was ready to stand on his own two feet his retraining would have to be accelerated, and she was still ensure how exactly to go about doing that in the first place. They were strong enough to defend him, for the moment at least, yet never before had they ever directly challenged the creatures, having only ever defended her territory from them, so this was something new; something that threatened them all. War was coming closer every moment that passed, looming over them as though they were storm clouds; dark and menacing. And she was worried they wouldn't always have the strength to protect him.

While there may have been fights within the past, only she and the twins had ever fought against the creatures, they alone having the best chance of survival out of the entire pack, not wishing to endanger any more of her children than she had too; Shadow and Blood having been hand picked specifically to be trained as the packs main protectors when she herself was not present, which tended to happen quite often.

Yet in these troubling times, she would need to call upon all of her pack. Not just her two warrior sons. War with the night was not something she had ever need concern herself with, for they were a pack that served only themselves and nothing more. But with Tyler now in their care, that would all change. Conflict was coming to them whether she wished it or not.

When the sun had risen once more only then did they return to the cave so the two could rest, Winter having never needed such things.

The two had shown clear signs of fatigue, but did their best to hide it from their mother, but she was able to pick up on their exhaustion without much effort, even with the twins insisting they stand guard as they usually did during the morning; she was their mother after all, these things were not easily hidden from her.

Winter would have none of it though, pushing the two over towards the direction of the cave once they had arrived back at the clearing, her sons having earned rest for their job the night before; it falling to her to look after the pack while the two slept. Normally she was away from the her pack for increasing lengths of time for her own reasons, having to rely on the twins to lead in her absence. Yet now she was forced to take a more active role so long as Tyler was there, his care falling to her for the time being.

She made sure to sit and watch the two as they walked over towards the den to make sure they had entered, wanting to so them go inside before she turned back away from them, heading towards the mound she usually sat upon when watching over her pack.

When she came to it, before she had even taken the first step to climb it, she heard loud howling coming from back inside the den, Shadow calling out to her for something urgent.

The mother wolf raced back to her sons, running into the cave to see what he had been alerting her too.

By this time, many of the others and begun to wake, rising to their paws as they stretched and began to leave the cave, Winter shoving past the others to get to Blood and Shadow, finding them towards the back of the cave in waiting.

When she had gotten to them, both wolves looked panicked, frantically moving about the cave as she stood in front of them.

Shadow ran to her once he'd spotted her, barking to his mother of one missing from the cave.

Winter had not understood what her son meant, yet looking back towards the rest of her pack as they left and back towards the twins again, she began to see what had caused them alarm, running back out into the clearing to confirm this.

All were gathered in the center of the clearing, and the only ones in the cave were Blood And Shadow, someone was indeed missing.

She called her sons to her side before she began to try and pick up his scent, not taking long to do as he would have had to gone through the clearing to get anywhere on the mountain, having left not too long ago as it still lingered in the air, almost impossible to pick up here with the strong mountain air.

When her sons stood next to her, she began to follow his trail towards a path that lead down the mountain, quickly finding his footprints as the three raced to find him.

There may not have been any dark creatures to worry about during the day, but that did not mean it was safe to travel by himself, Tyler not knowing this mountain as well as they did.

Even if it was morning, there were still many dangers to fear; dangers he would not find himself able to fight against, not like with the twins.

She did not know how far he had traveled by now, or how long he had been away for, but she needed to be sure he was unharmed, she and the twins moving with great speed as they followed his trail, hoping he was still safe.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

* * *

I wasn't exactly sure where I was heading, not knowing which direction lead where, but I knew I couldn't get lost no matter which way I went; not with the mountain overhead, providing me with a way back no matter how far I traveled.

Seeing as how none of the wolves keeping me there had been present, leaving me on my own for the time being, I took the opportunity to search the area for something to eat, having gone who knows how long without something to sate my feelings of hunger, having no godly idea when the last time I even ate was and only just feeling its effects. Sure, I'd woken up feeling refreshed, but it had only held off my need to eat for this long.

I didn't exactly know how to hunt, and I didn't think the wolves would hunt for me, so fresh kill wasn't on my menu; there was also the issue of me lacking any tools for hunting, and I wasn't gonna just kill something with my bare hands and eat it like it was, not without a way to cook it at least, so I was reduced to scouring for fruit. That was only if anything grew in this land of snow that was, not knowing what the hell could grow in a frozen tundra like this.

I didn't have much of a choice though. Letting myself go too long without something would eventually weaken me, something I could not let happen, especially if I was going to be going up against Blood and Shadow from time to time. I needed to keep my strength up at all times if I was gonna have any chance.

Only, I didn't know what the hell I was doing out here. I couldn't hunt, I wouldn't know if any fruit I came across was edible, and I wasn't entirely sure if there was anything else out here besides the wolves.

But like I said, I didn't exactly have any choice. But even if I only had this choice, that didn't mean it still wasn't a stupid thing to do.

And this was a really stupid idea. But I guessed that since this was wolf territory than there had to be something they hunted. Something that ate the vegetation, how ever little there seemed to be.

I had no real sense of time, so no knowing how long I'd been for foraging for whatever exactly was out here, but it felt like a bit of time had passed since I left the wolf den; Approaching an hour, maybe two.

And by that time, clouds had begun to fill the sky, bringing down just a small amount of snow.

Even though it wasn't much, the temperature started to drop somewhat, making me shiver from the added snow of this already frost covered land.

I wish I had some thicker clothing, not having much to wear when I'd gone out. The long sleeve shirt I wore did have a hood attached to it, pulling it up to keep the snow out of my eyes before I retracted my hands into the cuffs and holding them together so they were closed. It had only bothered me a bit, not feeling too terribly cold out here, especially considering I'd spent a few outs in this kind of weather already, partially use to it.

Nonetheless, I didn't want to be out here for much longer in the event it that it did happen to drop down to freezing, starving or not.

I still wanted at the very least to find something, however small, pushing through the thick undergrowth and swatting at any and all snow covered bushes to see of they bore fruit of any kind for a few god awful minutes.

Every time I shook something free of ice and snow, I only came across a dying bush or a few frozen shrubs, nothing of use as far as I was concerned, kicking at one with a huff of frustration. "This entire forest and not a single gods damn thing that's edible," I said-speaking only to myself-as I moved on from it, "I'm not eating bark or leafs, and I haven't seen any other animal's besides the wolves, so even if I was thinking about hunting that's not gonna be happening."

With all that had happened, I let out a sigh as I stopped to observe the area around me, looking up into the sky as the snow fall came much slower. "Maybe its time to head back."

After speaking these words, I realized how little sense this made to me. It wasn't home that I would be returning to on that mountain, or family that was waiting for me, so I didn't know why I even considered going back, or why I felt the need to return, but I did.

Shaking my head as soon as thoughts like these entered my mind, I quickly cleared away any ideas of going back. Letting out a rough sigh over this as I continued to walk on in favor of looking for whatever the hell was out that I could eat. Though I think that was more of an excuse to stay out on the walk than anything. Figuring I could go back at any time, yet didn't believe I'd really ever have time to get out like this, not as long as that bitch and her bastards still breathed. But I knew I wasn't ready to act on this yet, nor would I be for quite a while.

I think the longer I had time to contemplate my situation, the more rage I was filled with towards the wolf; having a great amount of animosity towards the wolves these past few days. It was infuriating to know that I was trapped here with them, lacking in strength to fight. They'd made a fool of me and I had no choice but to take it. Thinking of it though, none of the wolves here. I was on my own. I could run from this territory in hopes of never seeing the wolves again, but something told me that no matter how far I ran they'd just catch up to me.

Looking to my hands I as clenched them, I could feel the lack of strength they had, knowing that whatever power I had now wasn't enough. For everything that had happened I still couldn't explain a single thing in this world; My broken memory. Where I was. What I had fought that night near the waters. Not even my own gods damn name. Nothing!

I felt myself on the verge of tears the longer I let myself be angry; threatening to lose control over it, which I couldn't let happen as I'd need all that rage to survive, dropping down to my knees as I slammed my fist into the ground beneath me, doing my damnedest to keep it together.

The time I spent containing my anger, the flow of time seemed to pass me by, not knowing how long I'd sat there. How ever long I had, the sun was just about at its highest point, rising up from the ground as I was tired of feeling sorry for myself.

Looking up towards the sky, I managed to calm myself down enough that my anger seemingly disappeared, though I had only buried so far down that it could not so easily resurface unless I let it. My anger would not control me. I would control it.

With my head cleared, I came to the conclusion that it was past time to return to to wolf pack. Though nothing would have pleased me more than never seeing that fucking mountain again, I knew those blades were still there. If there were any keys to my past, then it was there. So for the time being I'd endure. Something told me that the longer I was away from her ever watchful gaze would only incur her wraith; I'd already been attacked by them once, better to not give them an actual reason.

To spare my self that I decided that for the time being it was home. And I guess making my way back before 'mom' found out I'd been gone this long was best.

The moment I turned to leave, a feeling in the back of my mind kept my feet glued to the ground, unable to move at my own command. Hearing a sort of...Echo, from deeper in the forest.

I knew I should have gone back, and that there were possible consequences for my leaving.

And yet...I didn't care. For the time being, I would not return. Something urging me to wait just a little longer.

Out here, standing in this forest, I could feel the same sense of peace I had when gazing from atop the mountain. And it wasn't just that feeling of peace that compelled me to stay longer, sensing something within this land that called to me, no longer feeling the hunger that I had as I walked on towards the beacon, almost in a sort of trance that kept me going, not even bothering to look for food any longer, not concerned with it anymore. Not that I really had been in the first place.

* * *

**The Winter Four: Miz.**

* * *

I hadn't expected Xander and Taios to have returned so soon, figuring whatever went for negation between the two would have taken a little longer than forty-five minutes, somehow having had hope that the two could put aside the differences of our respective kingdoms for some kind of solution as too avoid any unnecessary deaths, but of course, I hadn't really known what outcome to expect regarding my brother and the WarChief famous for his rivalry with Xander, now believing the same as Zag in that Taios would be vengeful for his injures, considering the twos prior history together; yet I could not know Taios' thoughts, so I had know way to know this. I could only hope my family was not in any risk, and that our blades would not be drenched in their blood by days end.

Though by the look plastered on their faces, I could tell things had not gone well, words for peace having seemingly failed, worrying me as I thought of the prospect of fighting this many Tongues; the short answer was that the odds were not in our favor.

"Rise you two. We might have a problem." I ordered immediately as I jumped to my feet at once, my siblings following my lead quickly as Xander returned to us, a kind of dread and sadness that I had never known him to show frozen in his expression. "What happened in there?" I questioned him as he glanced back at Taios, reaching his hand out towards Zero, who quickly returned his blade to him. "Doesn't matter. Nothing good came from it. We should have done this right from the start."

I looked questioningly at him as he attached the scabbard for his blade onto his hip and gripped its handle, preparing himself for a coming battle, starting to feel dread as I watched this, knowing what might come if we started fighting.

"Oh, hell yeah." Zag eagerly exclaimed as she took her place beside him, waiting for the moment Xander gave the order to engage; about ready to unleash her usual blood frenzy upon those that Xander ordered dead, something that she wouldn't likely come out as long as she was fighting, yet something she'd be equally happy to do if it meant Tongues lay dead at her feet.

"Xander, there are too many for us." I advised him, worried that he was thinking more as a warrior of Winter-Moor rather than thinking straight. "This isn't a fight we can easily win?"

"The fuck we can't. This is what we've been waiting for." Zag arrogantly boasted of our teams strength, believing that victory was all but assured as long as we stood together.

I brushed off her comment as her being her usual destructive self; looking towards Xander for him to put an end to this madness, hopeful that he'd come to his senses.

But what he said next began to put doubts in my mind, something I had never done once until now. I could never have known how much he was willing to lose. "I never expected it to be easy. But we have no choice, Bid. I'm tied of running," Xander said as he drew his blade, slashing it across the air as he took his stance, his sword over his head. "I'm tired of hiding like a scared little kid in my own gods damn kingdom. This is our land, and I will not allow anyone to walk on it like they own it; like they own us!"

He spoke in a way that reminded me strongly of Zag; taking us down a path to war that I wasn't sure we would return from. This was starting to sound more like his pride was preventing him from backing down from this; and Xander knew better than to allow such a thing to happen.

"Use your head Xander. This isn't worth our lives. Just meet him in the middle; let him take whatever gold he's found and go." I advised him once more, disappointment sinking like a stone in my stomach when he refused to listen.

"You know I can't do that."

I narrowed my eyes in outrage, ready to speak once more before he whipped his head back in my direction. "This isn't about gold, Miz. And this isn't about Winter-Moor. This is about me and Taios."

I stared at him, bewildered by his words. I could find no deeper meaning to them than what I could gather on the surface, believing Xander to have lost his mind with this seemingly immense selfishness. "You would risk our lives to settle a grudge?" I angrily accused him, to which he turned away from me. almost as though he was insulted.

"I ask you to trust me."

"You can't be serious!" I screamed at him as the Tongues mobilized for combat.

I was seemingly the only one among us to take issue with Xander's orders because the next thing I knew, Zero was telling me the same. "Miz, do as he says. I trust him in this."

I did not know if this was something I could do, I could only hope that Xander choose his next words carefully, for I did not know that I could forgive him should any one of us die tonight because of his decisions.

Ready for the challenge Xander was offering, Taios was given his mask back to him to wear as he turned to us, his warriors gathered behind for the battle about to take place.

"You will not walk away this time, Xander. You were lucky to have escaped last time, but no such thing shall happen again. No one is coming to save you, and none of your tricks will work a second time. This time, you shall die. I am a Golden Tongue! Battle is our life! War is our law! And blood our currency!" Taios screamed out for all to here as he gripped the spear in his hands, taking his own stance. "If you choose to oppose us, than consider your life forfeit!"

These passionate words rallied the other Tongues to his side, all chanting in a song of wars as tensions flared beyond what I could control. I could not stop this any more than I could fight this. Reasoning with the tongues now was beyond me.

"We stand with you, Xander." Zero announced as he drew on his own weapon, holding his blade in his left while he raised his free fist, Zag nodding in agreement with him over something for once as she cracked her knuckles loudly in anticipation, always choosing to start a battle with her fist before she began cutting into flesh, she being the most cocky out of us all. Yet had better reason than us to gloat over them as she was arguably the strongest out of us all, and even more brutal than Taios.

I could not believe the two would still fight with him, even after having spoken as though our lives were his pawns. Zag I could understand, but Zero? Zero would never blindly follow as she did, so I assumed he had other reasons for this but I couldn't be sure.

I would always stand with Xander; always had I been convinced that as long as he lead us, we would come out on top, that he would lead us down the right path, yet this time I wasn't so sure. And that wasn't something I wished.

Nevertheless, I would fight by his side with tooth and nail, Xander fighting for something more than gold; something that I didn't understand, discarding my own scabbard's as I held my twin blades up, shaking my head in anger before taking my stance.

He was my brother, and I would fight for him all the same, even if he was ready to throw our lives away for the sake of this conflict with Taios.

When Xander saw each one of us having readied ourselves for the battle despite all that he had said, having given us very little to understand, he pointed his blade at Taios with a look of defiance.

"Come and take them then!" Xander shouted to the invaders, unafraid of the coming battle.

Our fates today would either end, right here, or begin a new chapter, for this battle held more weight on Xander's shoulder's than I knew.

This was just another fight to the rest of us there, yet it was more than that to Xander and Taios; this was the end of something, this being so much more to the two then they let on.

Whatever the two were fighting for was something I didn't understand. For it wasn't resource's, nor was it their duty to the kingdom's they served, not even for those they stood with. I just didn't know.

What I did though, was that not everyone would be walking away to see the sunset.


	16. Chapter 16

**Minecraft. The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter 16.**

* * *

**The Winter Four: Xander.**

* * *

They moved forward along with Taios at his command with their weapons in hand, all rallyed behind their Warchief without question, ready to march on, even if it was towards their deaths; Their loyalty to him commendable even when faced against those such as us. If Taios hadn't been here than our victory would be all but assured, so as to whom would survive here, I couldn't say, but with every ounce of power I had, I intended it to be my team. Myself though, was not something I was concerned with. This wasn't a fight I wished to take part in, and I knew neither did they. Miz was right; I should just let them take what they'd found and let them leave. I should call off this battle before I was forced to shed any blood. I should put my own team ahead of my orders from Winter-Moor. But what choice did I have here? I couldn't just walk away from this. I had a chance to finish this before it had gotten to this point and I hadn't taken it, and now I was gonna see to it that it ended today. I owed Taios that much.

It still wasn't fair, gods dammit. I had found in the one person that was suppose to be my enemy the only one who understood my path, my suffering, and my torment. This wasn't something I could easily do anymore. I didn't know if I could draw my blade against him with the intention of taking his life again. And even if I could I didn't want too. I didn't want this. This fucking war between Winter and Tongue.

Some part of me wanted to believe that this hestitation I was feeling was all a part of some twisted plan of his from the very start; to have made me doubt my loyalties to Winter-Moor, to question everything I ever knew so that my fighting would be impaired. To forget my heated past with the one man who'd I'd tried to kill countless times before and nearly been killed by. I so very wanted to believe this. To become enraged for this sudden realization and be able to kill them all without a second thought for his attempt to deceive me. To admit that Zag was right when she said we should slaughter every last Tongue until it was blood that drenched the ground in place of snow.

Yet when I looked upon Taios; truly looked at him, I could almost see myself standing there, like I was looking into a mirror. I looked beyond the mask he wore and the armies at his command, the scars on his body, even past Winter-Moor and the Tongues and their long history of deep seeded hatred for each other. Pushing back everything around me, I could see only him standing there. Everything from his walk down to his stance, to even the way he held his spear spoke of his pain, his fear, and something hidden deeper within. It told me everything I needed to know about him, about the meaning of those words passionately spoken to me in the tent.

I think I finally understood what he'd been trying to tell me, or at the very least was beginning too, and it didn't make this any easier. I only wish I could have told him, maybe this could have ended differently.

Gods, if only I'd known before this. Maybe this could have all been avoided. Maybe one of us wouldn't have to die for the other.

Yet part of me knew that wasn't true, not with his tribes and my kingdoms history together. There just wasn't anything we could be together, other than enemies. And I had to accept this.

Moving forward towards Taios with a sword in my hand, I prepared myself for what I was about to do, the others following closely behind, same as those that followed the Warchief, expecting Taios to do the same as I if we clashed for what very may be a deadly encounter. Even though part of him was broken over the conflict, he manged to stand tall, and I respected this.

I wish that I could have consoled him before we'd fought, or maybe he could have for me, but I guess it didn't really matter; this could only end in one way. We both knew this well enough that we needn't wonder what came next.

Yet before out battle could take place, a single thought that crossed my mind was enough to stop me from marching forward, and in turn my brothers and sister.

My team...My friends...My brothers...My sister...My family.

This was my fight. And mine alone, their lives I could not risk. So let it be mine alone that was gambled with.

Glancing back towards Miz in particular, seeing the searing rage he had with me, my choice became clear.

"Taios! Cease!" I shouted out, the Tongues halting at once.

Our lives had become entwined ever since we'd first met years back, and our fates had lead here to this final clash. Yet this burden alone was mine to bear, never should it have been theirs. To what it may hold was something I knew not; but shalt we see through to its bitter end.

* * *

There existed such a time when my hatred for the Tongues was nearly none existent, this lack of hatred coming from a very younger version of me. Oh sure, I had the typical disdain for them that nearly all sons and daughters of Winter-Moor had, something that was a very usual occurrence in Snowfall, but it came from the fact that they were an enemy kingdom and nothing more. Somewhere down the line, one single event which would kick start my journey with Taios. Yet to understand how it came to this, one must understand Taios himself, and the role he would play in my ambition to take control over the Winter throne, and the burning desire to eradicate his people off the face of what would be the birthplace of my future empire.

* * *

**Years ago. The sixth day of the month Nue Gheimhridh.**

* * *

Each one of us stood there as our Lawgiver spoke out orders to all those there in the assmbly, each of us listening intensely to his words as most did; when he spoke, those that heard him tended to listen, commanding that much respect from those under him. At least most of us did, my siblings and I were somewhat excited by the prospect of a mission with the special forces, a long time dream finally come true. I remember how young we were; I, myself, about 8 years old and so eager to prove myself. I was the future successor to the claim over leadership of Alpha after all, my mentor one of the greatest warriors Alpha had ever known, so I had much to live up too. And the gods knew how I looked up to our mentors.

It was our first mission I believe since we were first gathered as the future of Alpha, our mentors by our sides when they could still stand beside us. My team had all known each other well before we'd gone into the military academy, and we'd trained together ever since, day and night, knowing how strong we needed to become to surpass them. After we joined the academy, it wasn't long before we were all chosen to become the apprentices of Alpha, inspired to become even greater then they. It was from that point on that I began making plans to one day sit on the throne of Winter-Moor.

My siblings and I silently spoke among ourselves of what today might hold, Rig, the youngest of us the most excited over this, starting to get a tad bit overexcited, his mentor having to quickly hush his student with a glare, ordering him to pay attention, saying it went for the rest of us. "Listen carefully now, you won't have us to hold your hands out in the field."

Each of us quickly shut up at his warnings and faced forward, listening more closely to the Lawgiver of Winter-Moor, David, our military General.

"Several large groups of Tongues have been spotted in both the Frozen Desert and the Golden Lake." He began as he pointed towards a map of all of Snowfall, the Desert our largest piece of territory, a greater amount of Iron hidden within its borders than any other land we had.

"Reports indicate at least three camps found in the Desert, here, here, and here." David told every soilder there as he circled around three separate locations all within close proximity to each other.

"We aren't sure where their main camp is, or how many exactly they travel with, but we approximate at least 75. As for the lake, we've only seen a few parties. Which leads us to believe they're preparing to take the desert in an all out assault with the larger concentration of their forces gathered there, and their scouts centered in the Lake."

I wasn't old enough to make any connections with the information we had at the time, but at the back of my mind I found something about this strange; why would the Tongues, known for their obsession with gold, move their armies towards a place with more iron than gold? What were they hoping to take by invading the desert over the lake? I suppose a greater tier of material for stronger weapons, but no Tongue seen had ever been reported using anything other than gold for their weaponry.

No one there said any thing such as this theory I had, and I didn't have enough pull to openly talk yet, so the part of me that thought this stayed silent.

"Our plan is to move three separate legions into each camp with a special forces team leading the the operations. You'll be receiving support from two Sniper divisions." With this stated, he first pointed towards us of Alpha. "Alpha team, you'll lead the assault on the camp with the largest gathering of tribesmen." At this point we apprentices stopped listening as we had just learned our first mission was to be our first battle as well, and from what we were told it was to be a glorious battle!

I had to resist shouting out in excitement as I looked to my delighted siblings, looking forward to what I believed would be my chance to lead my team.

When the rest of the orders were given we left the war room and moved towards the private room for Alpha only as our mentors discussed amongst themselves of their assault plans.

We stood in our own room that connected to the private meeting center as we excitedly spoke of what was supposed to be the first test of our abilities as warriors.

"Our first battle! And along with our mentors right by our sides!" Zag excitedly exclaimed as we all wondered of the upcoming war, our sister only mildly blood thirsty compared to what she would become.

Kat spoke up after Zag, Kat being our teams sharpshooter. "I never expected anything like this for our very first mission." She bursted out in glee.

"Don't let your excitement distract any of you. We might be with our mentors, but anything could happen out there." Miz tried to advise us, still wiser than any of us were, even back then.

"Stop killing our fun you ass." Zag said in irritation-though more playful then anything- as she heavily slugged him in his arm. "Any one of us could handle a dozen Tongues, and each one of our mentors is worth at least a thousand Golden Tongues themselves."

I nodded my head in agreement with our sister, so ready to overestimate our strength if it meant we got our chance to fight, having no godsly idea of what exactly it was we faced, having only ever heard our many warriors speak I'll of the Tongues, and since we of Winter-Moor were considered the greatest to ever walk Snowfall I took these words to heart, not old enough to understand the concept of boasting. I still can't believe I ever thought this.

It wasn't much longer before we were called to our mentor's, all as excited as we could be.

Our brother Bid was the first to speak. "When do we head out?" He said with a hunger for battle that only children could have, none of us quite understanding what war meant yet.

None of our mentors shared in our excitement, experienced enough to know better. And maybe it was that reason that they spoke their next words.

"In half an hour. We'll be gathering the Legions shortly after." Aidan, my mentor and leader of Alpha spoke, to which we all responded well too, speaking up myself. "Will we be all together or split up?" I assumed to know my mentors thoughts, who looked down at me as he saw my excited grin. "We'll be splitting up." He told us, our younger selves not giving him a chance to finish before we started to move towards the exit, believing we'd be fighting this battle on our own, doing wonders to excite us all. I'd only been half right though, Aidan quickly grabbing my shoulder before I could walk off, holding me in place.

"Xander, we'll be splitting up, meaning us and you seven, so you all will not be accompanying us." He broke the news to me, taking a minute to process just what I'd been told.

The moment I did, I was filled with so much outrage, almost opening my mouth to argue, but luckily Miz grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back before I said something stupid. He wasn't able to keep Zag quite though, sharing in my feelings of betral.

"This is our first mission! You can't just bench us!" She angrily shouted, her own teacher quickly glaring at her for her silence, Amelia Darkheart having been one of the only few that could contain her anger, Zag instantly bowing her head before she had a tantrum, having to not ever utter a word for Zag to be silent; Having that much influence over the small bundle of wraith.

"We're not going to deny your first mission," Aidan quickly said in an attempt to calm us, "but none of us feel you're ready for this kind of combat. We don't need to be worrying about you during this assault. The Tongues are much more dangerous than you've been lead to believe."

"And we're stronger than you think!" I told him straight out, not wanting to believe that he thought we weren't ready. How could we prove ourselves if we weren't given the chance? And as far as I knew, this was that chance.

"I'm not saying you all aren't strong." He said defensively, quickly losing control over us.

"Then what are you saying?" Bid questioned him, just as angered over this as we were.

"Because it takes more than strength to win a battle." Kyler told his own apprentice, who backed down at once. I on the other hand still wasn't convinced, more of us starting to quickly cave the more of our mentors spoke. I was gods damn lucky Aidan still let me go on the mission after arguing like this, too stupid see how he was protecting us all, having convinced myself that I had some kind of right to only the most prestigious of tasks befitting my status as the inherator of Alpha. I didn't have the experience or skill necessary to go toe to toe with Golden Tongue warriors yet, but I'd become self entitled during my time as Aidan's apprentice. I think that's why he still sent me out that day, I had to start somewhere.

Seeing how I was losing support from my team on the matter, I started to settle down myself, lowering my head down along with them if only to avoid losing the task I still had. "What would you have us do." I asked him.

"You'll be sent towards the Golden River to investigate the parties there. Scouting only, I don't want anyone being a hero, so engage only if necessary." Aidan ordered, assured no more argument would come from any of us.

I couldn't help but grind my teeth in anger, though reluctantly nodded. "Yes Sir..." I said with immense dissatisfaction in my tone.

With a nod from my mentor, we began to walk towards the gates of Winter-Moor in silence.

* * *

**The Winter Four: Miz.**

* * *

Each one of us stood firm as the Golden Tongues began to march forward with Taios in the lead of his army against the four of us, each Tongue moving towards their enemies with a bloodlust that nearly matched that of the creatures, sending a cold shiver down my spine as the sight of it nearly made me step back, yet I resisted against my fear of it, suppressing it the best I could. I did not doubt we could win, only doubted I'd survive long enough to see this through to the end.

Yet, Xander did not order us forward as Taios had with his tribe, looking back to me to see my anger with him, knowing I didn't understand what he and Taios were ready to march to their deaths over.

Knowing this, my brother made a choice that erased any doubts I had about him from my mind; he could not let us fight his battles, not this time.

"Taios! Cease!" Xander yelled to the WarChief, who quickly raised his hand to order the rest to halt, listening to Xander's words for a brief moment. "If you wish to beg now, you should know it will do little good."

"You misunderstand my intentions," My brother said to his long time rival as he sheathed his blade, "this has always been between us. So let it end with us. I invoke the right to single combat."

This direct challenge was little surprise to Taios, yet of even greater shock to rest of us, though looking at Taios, he almost seemed devastated to have been challenged directly, picking up a strange sense of hurt that I could not understand.

"Xander-" I began in protest, to which Xander turned to me. "No. You are right, I can not risk your lives for something between us two. You all will keep out, no matter what happens."

He spoke with such conviction; reminding me just why we followed him, yet this wasn't an order I could follow easily. I could not let him fight an opponent such as Tails alone. "You know I can not decline this, for the laws of my tribe will not allow it and demand I accept any and all challenges. What are the terms?" Taios asked him as he spoke a few words in his own tongue, ordering the rest of his tribe-mates back once more.

"No others can suffer because of our battle, so if I win, your tribe will vacate the area at once; leaving behind any gold you have mined from our lands." Xander explained the first set of rules, to which Taios followed up with a question of his own. "Agreed. Yet should you fall, we all walk away from this with what we have found."

Xander took a single glance back towards us before giving Taios a nod in his agreement to Taios's rules in the battle.

Knowing that Xander was about to lay his life down for the rest of us and had every intention of going through with this fight to the death, Zag raced forward and stood in front of him to block his way, angrily shoving Xander back into Zero. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" She furiously asked him as Zero held him in place, Xander not struggling yet. "I'd like to know the answer to that too." He questioned Xander, as only a moment ago we were about to march to battle.

Xander looked up to see the anger emanating from his angry sister as she stepped forward and took a hold of his shirt, lifting him up off of his feet as she glared at him, Xander just dangling in the air as he held onto her hand. Xander wasn't in any immediate danger, so Zero and I only stood by to watch, knowing from personal experience that it didn't take much for Zag to go for blood and that it was better for her to get her anger out. "If you insist on this dual than let me take your place." Zag demanded of him, which I was ready to agree with.

"This is my fight. This is something I must do. Alone." Xander tried to explain himself, infuriating Zag further than she already was. I almost understood his reasoning behind this challenge; neither of them could allow the other to take the gold without disobeying their Lords, yet if the leader of the opposing party were to lose in battle or die, than that group would be forced to retreat. I didn't know exactly how to feel about letting Xander face him alone, but I had to give him credit for having found a way to reduce what was to be a truly horribly and costly battle down to a single fight; yet I don't think Zag saw it that way.

I knew how Zag was, how she thought; she must have been feeling as though he was leaving us to die; and even worse, leaving her. Believing that Xander was ready to sacrifice himself, something he was, in her opinion, never allowed to do so long as she could draw breath, she promptly dropped him back onto the ground before she swung her fist across his face, knocking him back onto the dirt with blood spraying from his lip from being busted open.

"Zag! Enough!" I ordered as I stepped in between the two to keep her off of Xander, knowing how badly she could injure him when as pissed off as she was now, and the only thing that would prevent any blood shed depended upon how well he could fight, and her beating the living shit out of him wasn't gonna help our chances at all.

Though Zag was far too angry with Xander to be reasoned with, attempting to move past me to-shall we say-"persuade" Xander from this fight.

I knew there wouldn't be talking any sense into her when she got like this but now wasn't the time to be fighting amongst ourselves. I didn't wish to see Xander fight in this battle alone anymore than she did but this wasn't the way to make that point.

While Zero was picking Xander up off the ground as he shook off her hit, I being all that stood between her and Xander, she continued to move towards him, all three of us knowing damn well how much of a mistake getting in her way was, but I was left with no choice but to fuck up.

"Zag, stop this. We won't let him fight alone, you just need to calm down." I tried to reassure her, speaking words she failed to hear, extending her arm out and moving me aide effortlessly.

I had never done anything more than sparred with any of my siblings before; it having never come to open conflict like this, yet Zag was quickly spiraling out of control and that was the last thing we needed. So I would do what I needed to contain her until she'd expended all of her rage.

The moment she had fully extended her arm to push past me, I latched onto it, circling back and tossing her to the side faster than she had been able to react too, almost stumbling before she regained her balance, whipping her head and body back with a glare.

I knew very well that I had made a terrible mistake, having done so with the knowledge that it was entirely impossible for me to stand against her for longer than a minute or two when she was this enraged, let alone beat her, but she needed to control herself and that was exactly what I was about to do.

My brothers shared my lack of confidence as well, looking back at the two to see Zero helping Xander to his feet as he wiped the blood from his lip. "She's gonna kill you." Zero commented on the unlikelihood of me actually winning a fight against her, knowing just as well as I that it was in her power to kill me how ever easily she wanted. A simple flick of her wrist would suffice; yet I knew as well that this would not happen.

No matter how angry she got, she would not willingly kill a brother, giving me some relief as that was all that would keep me alive.

Granted, she'd do just about every other act of violence imaginable, but killing one of us was not on that list. Never.

Turning my attention back to Zag, I braced myself for her attacks; our angered sister storming over to me with her fist raised, taking a counter-defensive stance in preparation; knowing from personal experience that her wraith was just as never ending as it was horrific, that is what would keep her from stopping. I also knew how she fought, and that rage of hers was the source of her strength, but at the same time lead to her greatest weakness. And such a thing was a liability to our squad in the moments where she lost it, which were often the most critical. Gods above, it was times like this that made me wish that Amelia was still alive. Zag's mentor having been the only woman that could temper her daughter's anger. Because none of us certainly could. Xander had better luck than the rest of us but not when her anger was directed at him instead of the Tongues.

Lucky for us, Taios restrained his tribe from any sort of action, keeping up his end of the deal for single combat by waiting for us to settle our disagreements; giving me more than enough time to end this. Taios was honorable in this, for any another enemy of ours would have struck the moment fighting had broken out among the team.

I could see some protest among some of the others, yet Taios simply ignored such comments or ordered them to be quite; heavy debate over whether or not to engage us now openly spoken among them; and unlike Xander, I understood their tongue well enough as though it was a second or third language, seeing that Taios was having his own problems with controlling his tribe.

Putting our current troubles before those of the Golden Tongues, I focused my attention on Zag, and the current threat she posed to her own team.

She threw her fist furiously at me, quickly raising my left arm up to block her, stopping it with my forearm though not without gritting my teeth in pain; the girls hits comparable to those of a jackhammer, Zag possessing monstrous strength for her age; and really any one.

I had always known how strong my sister was; that she was far stronger than I, as the rest of my siblings were, something that I tried not too often to think about as I was trying to fight her now. It was hard enough to talk reason into your siblings without all of them being many times stronger than you. But no matter how strong the three became, there would always be something that I possessed that put me on equal footing with them.

When Zag found her punch having been blocked, she kicked her leg back before quickly raising it, her kick aimed at my side.

Though it did connect, winding me momentarily, I grabbed onto her foot and held it there in place. When she attempted to retract her limbs I took hold of her arm as well, yanking her back and tossing her over head, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

Having been laid out on the ground, she raised her head up to send a glare my way, my fist still raised should she attack again.

As I had said before, her rage was not only her greatest strength, but her greatest weakness as well. It made her sloppy. Imbalanced. Easy to read. While she was strong, she lacked the proper skill in fighting to properly utilize her strength to its fullest; being more of a brawler than a fighter really.

There was no such weakness in me though. For my greatest strength lay not in my physical prowess, as my sister, but in the skill of foot and fist; of sword and shield.

Of hand to hand.

My siblings here all had something that made them more powerful than I. This was something that I knew; that I could never rival them, no matter how hard I trained or how strong I became. And I accepted this, that they were beyond me and always would be.

And yet, while I would never possess the fearfully growing powers that each of my siblings possessed, my skill in fighting alone is what kept me on their level. Yet for how long this would remain true I did not know, but for now, this was the only reason I stood a chance against her.

I could only hope her beating on me would be enough for her to work out her anger, otherwise none there would be walking away the victor.


	17. Chapter 17

**Minecraft. The Stranger: Rewitten.**

* * *

**Chapter 17.**

* * *

The eerie silence of the forest was broken each time he stepped forward; only the sounds of the snow beneath his foot to be heard for miles around as he walked on towards the very center of these seemingly living woodlands, feeling a strange connection to this area as it seemed to radiate with a mixture of his own life force and its own. Like he could sense himself all around, and yet, it felt like someone else was there as well.

He didn't know what force lay behind this drive that compelled him to follow, nor did he know what was there for him to find at the end of this that called out to him. But it didn't feel dangerous. It almost felt familiar.

He wasn't able to explain this strange urge or the reasoning behind it, and it almost felt foolish to march around in territory that he wasn't at all accustomed too, or yet even worse, to what could be his death; but no mater what thoughts that wormed their way into his mind that argued against this would deter him. So for better or for worse, he'd see this through.

And its not like this was the dumbest thing he'd ever done, but it was very easily a close second.

Looking around his surroundings the deeper he traveled in, he was surprised somewhat that there didn't some to be any other creature out around, Tyler the only one out and about, at least from what he could see.

The lack of creatures in the forest was strange to him, but he had been scavenging only minutes ago, even if he hadn't been hunting for anything living he wasn't sure if he could have turned away a meal if he had found something, so maybe the forest just had a way of knowing.

Of course now, he had stopped feeling hunger, but any chance that might stop wasn't a risk the animals of the forest weren't willing to take it seemed.

He wondered though; what other creatures did this world hold? What of the rest of the land beyond the mountains? Of the things still hidding outside its borders? He had only seen the terrors it held in the form of the creatures he'd fought that night, and of course the wolves, but he didn't know how to really feel about them yet, whether to be scared or amazed by the pack was something he wasn't sure of.

Suddenly a fear of the world before him was replaced by a nagging sense of amazement of what the land might hold.

Perhaps when he was strong enough he could better explore the lands surrounding him to uncover its secrets, yet for the time being that wouldn't be happening so long as he remained this weak.

This thought placed a burning desire within him to strengthen himself, so that one day he might not fear the land as much as he did. Until then he would do everything he could to make sure that day came.

For the moment, he pushed these thoughts away to better focus on his path, not sure where he was heading but sure that he was going the right away; to where ever the hell that was.

He didn't seem to care though, for all that mattered was what lay at the end of his journey, how ever long it may be, he just needed to this through.

* * *

**Elsewhere. The Winter Four.**

* * *

The fighting between the siblings only grew more vicious the longer it raged on, both Xander and Zero immensely surprised by how long Miz had managed to last against their sister, having matched her blow for blow on his skill alone, somehow able to keep up with his much stronger sister than any of them could have thought possible. It wasn't that Miz was weak, far from it, it was just that hers was on a much more monstrous level than his own.

Each time Zag wildly threw her fist at Miz, he effortlessly pushed it aside, her superiorly skilled brother deflecting any and all attacks that came his way, swiftly stepping away from her or palming her fist and shoving her away, nearly bringing her to the ground after several of her attempts at fighting him, continually putting her off balance with each blow he deflected. Each time they clashed, he showed off much more of his skill the longer they fought, and having to use even more the longer the fight progressed, with Zag's burning rage steadily increasing her already great strength.

While she'd had many outburst before, some even worse than this, none had ever seen the exact limit of her rage, the brothers figuring there was no stopping point in how much her wraith could reach, in place of a limit just being more wrath, for each time she was thrown to the ground or knocked off balance only fuled her already intense anger.

While Miz had shown himself capable of keeping up with her even with her growing power, he didn't dare strike back against her, for he lacked the physical strength to harm her at all, knowing that any break in his fighting strategy would result in Zag beating him down, doing everything he could just to block her attacks as it was.

It didn't take much to avoid her, leaning back enough that she went tumbling past him, her fist crashing into the ground with a loud thud, causing cracks in the ground beneath her as it broke apart, finding herself stuck and unable to retract her hand.

"Zag! Get a hold of yourself!" He ordered her as he took to his fighting stance once more, Zag screaming out as she gripped the ground her hand was trapped beneath in, ripping out a large piece of the rock in the process. Prepared for her to lash out, Miz quickly rolled under her as she swung the large piece of stone at him, missing enough for him to sweep her legs out from under her, falling onto her back after tossing the stone away, many of the Tongues screeching in fear as they jumped out of the way.

Miz quickly stomped his foot onto her hand before she could get up, keeping his fist up as he readied himself to fight her off again when she attacked.

Both siblings glared at the other as the fight went on, Miz keeping his whole body weight on her wrist in hopes of keeping her grounded. "That's enough, Zag. Fucking keep it together." He angrily yelled as her outburst was quickly irritating him, unable to keep a swear from slipping out in the process, something he was not prone to do.

"Get off me or I'll smash you head into the fucking ground." Zag threatened him menacingly, staring up at him with a violently intense stare, getting up to her knees yet was still held down by her brothers foot.

"Not until you've cooled off. This isn't the place or time dammit." Miz told her as she let out a dark growl.

"You don't order me!" She screamed out as her still stuck hand latched onto his foot, reversing their positions as she now trapped him, attempting to move the moment she had a hold on him.

A sudden touch of fear filled him as Zag lifted him by his foot, tossing him into the air a good amount of distance away with just her one arm, throwing him straight into the ground with a loud thud after sending him flying.

Groaning as he sat up from the heavy blow, he rubbed the back of his head as he struggled to shake it off, still extremely dazed. Her strength was at such a ridiculous level above his own he could barley believe it, coughing heavily as he shook it off, finally seeing her walk towards him as she clenched her fist.

"Zag...Stop!" He pleaded as he rolled back onto his hands and pushed off the ground, narrowly avoiding a direct hit as her fist came crashing into the ground, destroying the stones he'd stood on, rushing in towards Miz as he flipped back onto his feet, throwing her fist at him savagely.

Her first would be heavy punch came from her left arm, Miz ducking down as he shuffled to the side, Zag pulling her arm back as another hit followed, pushing his forearm up against her wrist and avoiding her once more, Zag unleashing a flurry of hits all aimed at Miz.

Since Zag had no real skill in fighting, there wasn't any particular area she was aiming for, meaning that many of her attacks were wasted as she missed several openings just throwing her fist, yet this meant that any one of her strikes was unpredictable, that coupled together with her great strength made her a truly dangerous opponent as she possessed the stamina to put all of her strength into each hit.

Miz did not have this luxury though, her seemingly unending rage fueling her fighting while it had finally started to take a noticeable toll on Miz himself, his arms severely bruised and bleeding from the time spent blocking each powerful hit of her's thus far.

With his body nearly giving out, he attempted to get a bit of rest when he grabbed both of her fist and tried holding them down for a brief second, but found himself unable to do this. He hadn't had the strength to stand against her to begin with, yet an exhausted him was even less threatening to her than he had been at the start of their fight.

Throwing off his hands, she let out a sudden burst of speed the moment he became too weak to continue the fight, striking him across his face hard enough to cause blood to cover the ground and her fist, instantly connecting his cheek with her right hand as he was pushed back a few feet.

These hits alone were enough to make sure Miz couldn't continue the fight, yet Zag was too enraged to stop her onslaught.

Grabbing onto his shirt, she bashed her forehead into the bridge of his nose, dealing a hit hard enough to bust it open, having most likely broken it as blood sprayed her face, Miz still conscious enough to weakly place his hand onto hers, trying with whatever strength he had left to pry her hands off of him, Zag merely slapping his hands away from her as the last of his power left his body, unable to continue any form of resistance.

With warm blood against her face, the instinct for battle kicked in, heavily kicking her foot into his abdomen and forcing blood to erupt from him as she knocked him into the ground.

Laying in the dirt in pain, Miz was reduced to a bloodied, broken mess, unable to move any part of his body without its agonizing torture, nearly drifting into unconsciousness the more he fought to stay awake. He could only gaze up at Zag as she stepped onto his chest, pressing down on it as he weakly tried to beg her to stop.

They knew what this was; Zag would always lose herself in battle, and right now this was the worst any of them had ever seen. And none of them were capable of snapping her out of this state, as they had never once attempted to interfere with her in her moments of intense rage, knowing it could just as easily turn on them if they tried, Miz having been enough of a challenge to bring out her darker side.

Those there watched the scene with a deep sickening feeling, even those of the Tongues, many adverting their eyes the longer she viciously struck him. Zag repeatedly beating him even further and longer than she should have, her fist drenched in her brothers blood the more heated she became.

Xander and Zero could only stand and watch Zag as they listened to the sounds of Miz's body being broken, a horrible feeling of guilt washing over Zero as he gritted his teeth, knowing there was nothing they could do to stop her without risk of the same brutal beating, then they'd have another fighter downed.

Even knowing this and the risk he'd place himself in, Zero prepared to move forward to take Zag on himself, not able to watch this any further, no stranger to heavy fights with his sister, he just couldn't stand and watch this anymore.

Instead, Xander moved ahead of him, shocking Zero as his leader advanced further. "Xander, let me. You'll be the one fighting, Taios." He tried to convince his brother, knowing not even he could stop Zag in her combat rage, yet he only walked on, intent on it.

Only one woman had ever been able to control Zag, even in her rage, but with her mentors death, Zag had been lost the closest thing to a mother she had, Amelia Darkheart's passing having had a lasting impact on the girl, leaving her with this great amount of uncontrolled rage.

Xander wasn't Amelia, but he had to try. She was half way from killing Miz, and they needed every fighter they had. Maybe she wouldn't consciously kill him, but right now she was out of control and that could easily change.

When Zag went to pull her fist back for another devastating blow, Xander grabbed onto her arm before she could strike him again, whipping her head back with a demonic glare aimed at him, trying to pull her hand free from her brother.

Maybe Miz wasn't strong enough to deal with Zag, but Xander had just enough strength himself to hold her in place.

"That's enough." Xander said as he pulled her off of Miz, using her free hand to punch at Xander the moment she was up.

Xander would not stand for this any further, his right arm flying up in time to stop her fist in its tracks, her hand colliding with the top of his forearm.

Immediately, Xander brought his fist across her face before she had the chance to attack him again, knocking her down with the hard strike, worrying Zero even further as he readied himself to move in after this.

"Zara, stop it." He ordered her as she wiped some blood from her face, staring up at him with a shocked gaze after hearing her name spoken. This name only ever said by her mother.

"Take hold of yourself, right now." He angrily told her as she picked herself up, immense hurt in her eyes as she became silent, her anger calmed for the moment.

Having taken control over his team, he motioned for Zero to come to his side as he kneeled down to sit Miz up.

"You alright?" Xander asked him as he and Zero carefully helped him to his feet.

"Just peachy." He groaned out as he leaned against Zero for support, many Tongues honestly surprised to see him still alive, let alone able to stand so soon.

Even with the beat down Zag had given him, Xander had seen much him take much worse, so he wasn't in any real critical state. There was a reason he was a champion of Winter-Moor after all; no beating from his little sister was enough to keep him down for long.

Even so, he was still furious with Zag for this outburst, looking towards the purple haired girl as Zero walked Miz past her. "Go with them and tend to Miz. You do anything further and I swear, I will cut you from this team." This threat was enough to keep her compliant as Xander turned away from her.

Yet Zag grabbed onto his arm before he could leave, having a few final words left for him before he went off to die, taking the last chance she might ever have to talk with him. "Please, let me fight in your place. I-I don't believe you can beat him. Its my job to protect you." She said with a soft grip on his hand, not wanting him to go with tears nearly falling from her cheeks yet kept herself from this. "That's my life."

He knew this as well; he could not beat Taios, but then again, this wasn't about beating him anymore. "I know." He said softly as he looked towards the WarChief, who finally began to walk forward to meet Xander.

"Then why?" Zag questioned him, Xander everything to her, so if he died, she had nothing.

Xander understood this, but he could not let her fight for him. He couldn't stop, even for her sake. He just had to know.

"Because I have too." He simply said before he left her, Zag staring at him brokenly as Miz took her hand into his, the two brothers pulling her away from the battlegrounds, Zag helping to move Miz as she wiped his blood off her body. "I'm sorry." She said sincerely as they laid him down to rest, taking out a cloth and bottle of water from their pack as she helped clear his eyes and face of dirt and blood. "I know." Miz accepted it as he looked towards Xander.

The trio went silent as they watched Xander and Taios stand in front of the other, looking towards the other without a trace of malice in their eyes.

"I offer one last chance, Taios. Back down." Xander said as his face twisted in seemingly false anger with some kind of hope there in his expression, Taios narrowing his eyes at his rival intensely. "No more talk. Let our fist express ourselves. It is in the heat of battle that one can truly understand themselves." Taios whispered as the two took to a fighting stance.

"Let us understand each other." The Golden Tongue Warchief said to the Winter Champion in their final bout.

* * *

**Tyler's journey.**

* * *

Hours seemed to pass by with every step he took; an eternity longer with only a few a feet of ground covered. Yet he managed to keep his sense of time with the sun still there above the clouds, having barley etched its away across the sky during the time he'd walked on, though no matter how far he went didn't seem to matter, as the mountain behind only looked as though it was getting closer.

And even though he seemed to have made little to no progress, this powerful urge that command him to move became ever so much stronger than when he'd first felt its alure. The closer he came to it, the more connected he felt with the land surrounding him, starting to feel a fraction of the power he'd used against Blood and Shadow rise within himself, and it felt even more potent than before.

It was raw and unrestrained, and it only continued to grow until it reached its limit when he'd finally found his way towards the heart of this forest, feeling a strange heat surrounding a small clearing as he stepped past it's ever watchful tree guardians, finding that not a single flake of snow touched this seemingly sacred place. While the rest of the mountain area was shadowed by snow clouds, this whole place was just one large sun patch. Unable to explain this, he was left speechless as he gazed upon the strange wonder.

Standing there in this tranquil clearing, he took a moment to drink in the warmth of the sun patch as he slipped off his jacket, no longer having need of it, not that it had given him much protection to begin with, but he was a little less warm with it off, the air around him just warm enough for him to enjoy without the extra clothing on.

Whatever peace he'd found before when he was atop the mountain was nothing compared to now, moving towards the center of the clearing as any fears he had simply washed away.

It was this place that had called to him, and he embraced it, having seemingly been worth the trip here, no matter what Winter would do because of it.

He sat under the patch of sun light with relaxed movement as he raised his head up towards the sky, basking in the warm glow of the only place in this land of ice that he'd felt warmth such as this.

He could feel each of his limbs loosen as he relaxed, feeling aches he hadn't even known he had just leave, the cold having nearly locked some of his joints so he was thankful for this place.

Just sitting there able to relax enabled him to enter a meditative state, able to push away the things this world had shown him in order to calm his mind, finding that this surprisingly easy to do.

Not focused on his physical self for the time being, he began to branch out to the things around him so his mind would not return to thoughts of the creatures of wolves. He didn't want to think about them, just this place and these feelings of peace that it'd brought him.

It soon felt as though he wasn't even there, having drifted away with the wind as he began to hear the magickal tune of the frost that fell around the clearing, a smile finding its away to him as he listened to the snowflakes softly drop and the icy winds as they howled from the north.

Eventually though, these were not the only things he could hear. Slowly beginning to hear the strange hum of words spoken to him, but they were almost hushed, as though they were echos. Yet the longer he listened there, they began to become more clear.

Having closed his eyes as he began to listen to the soft whispers from voices he knew not who they belonged too. Voices that spoke of different things.

Some spoke of sadness. Others torment.

Yet many others screamed out in rage.

He could hear the sounds of the flowing waters of the sea, the streams of rivers, and the calm serenity of lakes, as wave after wave crashed upon the shores of lands far away as storms raged around it, while in another the waters were calm. Disturbed only by those that swam through them.

Pushing his senses further than he thought possible, he could hear sounds of steel clashing against steel. Of screams in pain as flesh was torn, and the silence of death that followed. It was a difficult thing to describe, the sounds of the dead. To hear the breath of a man suddenly stripped away. To hear the final moments of creatures as they suffered. To hear a kind of silence that screamed in agony.

In other places, he could hear the sounds of laughter as families sat together, and in others he could hear their cries. It was strange to him, wondering how there could be death and suffering, when was so very close was joy.

There was once such battle that seemed to draw him in from its great distance, one much closer to him than any other.

"Let us understand each other." One such voice said to another next to him, a deep longing heard when he spoke.

"Taios, I will not be so kind this time." The one he faced off with spoke as he clenched his fist. "I'm stronger than when we fought last time, and I won't just barley win this time because of luck."

"As am I." The one named Taios said to his opponent. "If one of us is to die, than let it be so."

He wondered about these two warriors. There was something in the way they both spoke to each other that betrayed the supposed hatred they were showing to the others there with them.

Eventually, his increased sense began to move past this battle, no longer able to focus on it as he started to feel more around him.

He felt a taing of pain as it started to become overwelming. The smells, the sounds, the voices, he could feel it all.

Attempting to cover his ears to shut it out, he found he was unable to tune out the increasingly loud background noise.

It hurt.

It was if the world around him was screaming, until he could no longer distinguish any single sound, throwing his head back as it became too much to bare, his anguish filled cries finding their way to the three wolves in search of him, listening closely as as they sped off towards him.

Nothing he did could make the noise stop as he had no way of knowing how his senses had even spread that far out to begin with, trapping him within a booming wall of sound.

Just when he thought he couldn't take anymore, something was said to him that blocked out the noise when it was spoken, bringing with it a single moment of relief.

"Calm yourself." A voice broke through the chaotic chatter, opening up his eyes to look around the clearing as he gritted his teeth. "I can't!" Tyler screamed out in his pain. "Its too much!"

"You're letting your energy take control of you. In this place it flows much more easily," It began to explain to him. "You'd be much more powerful if you could keep it in check. Now take control."

"I-I don't know how! Make it stop!" Tyler begged as he fell to the ground, withering as he suffered from the overexertion of his senses.

"Its like when you strain during the flexing of a muscle. Let it relax."

Tyler heavily coughed as he managed to sit up, trying to force it down, yet it only became worse, feeling as though each of his muscles was about to pop, his head the worst source of pain.

"Stop trying to focus on it. You don't try to make a muscle stop flexing, it just does. Let it go." The voice firmly ordered him as Tyler started to push himself up to his feet, no longer focused on the things beyond, just the clearing he was standing in.

Having focused on so much beyond himself, he realized he had become unaware of his own body, having almost gone too far to come back, but with these encouraging words spoken to him, he began to focus only on its words, and its words alone.

With a few short breaths, he finally managed to center himself, a wave of relief and a feeling of calming washing over him as he once more took to sitting upon the ground to catch his breath.

When he had started losing control over his energy, it had felt like a wild storm in his body, but once he had managed to focus on this voice, his energy become smooth and fluid, looking towards his own body as a warm orange aura covered him.

For the first time that he could remember, he felt strength surge through his body, rising up to his feet without a trace of fear.

It felt like when he'd fought Blood and shadow, that same kind of power now freely his, somehow feeling more like himself than he had in a while.

When he'd first awoken to the world around him, he woke up without knowing who he was. And while he still didn't, he felt more sure of himself, something he'd lacked ever since his first step into an unfamiliar world. His name was something that he had never been sure of, whether or not it was his, but in this clearing he made himself the promise that he would make it his own, one day at a time.

"Listen now to the land around you. And you will at last hear." It spoke once more to him, Tyler taking his attention off of himself and did as it said, surprised by what he found.

While at first he had heard nothing but a silent forest, his steps in the snow the only thing he heard, he could now hear what he hadn't.

He could hear calls of birds. The winds as they flew through the leafs of trees. The trickle of water as it swam through nearby streams. And even the sounds of animals far and near, large or small, he could hear them.

While at first he had been deaf to the world before him, he could now hear its calls, surprised by how little he'd been listening.

"The world is speaking, and you have taken your first step in understanding it." The bodyless guide said to him in his amazement.

"What does it mean exactly?" He asked the helpful voice as he stood, contemplating his newfound strength.

"That is a question you must answer." It spoke before these words fell silent. "For only you can."

He would have asked it of his chance at fighting Blood and Shadow, now wanting to know how his level of strength compared to theirs, but decided this was something he'd see for himself, as these were things he should discover for himself, as he had been told.

Speaking of the wolves, he found himself able to pick up the distinct sound of three of them heading his way, all of them very familiar to him, sensing it to be Winter and her two sons chasing after his scent.

He couldn't tell how far or close they were, but that didn't matter to him, as he couldn't do anything about that now.

He still had some time to kill before they arrived, choosing to spend it adjusting to his strength in the likely event Shadow and Blood attacked him.

While he felt more confident in fighting them, he still worried about Winter, and whether or not he'd be fighting her, as he hadn't needed this increase in his senses to know how strong she was, having picked that up the second he saw her, and knowing that he stood no chance against her. Though he felt as though he didn't have to worry about fighting her, it didn't stop him from thinking about it.

For the time being though, he'd think over only what he'd been taught.


	18. Chapter 18

**Minecraft. The Stranger: Rewritten.**

**Chapter 18.**

* * *

**The Northern Mountain pack: Winter.**

* * *

Winter and her sons burst into a great speed as they raced down the stoney pathway in their pusuit of her missing pup; Quickly leaving the mountain as they started picking up the boys scent, following it towards him with Blood in the lead of the search party, her red fured son the better tracker amongst them, his sense of small far greater than that of his mothers.

Winter wished that she held the greater skill, because added with her superior speed she'd find him at a much faster rate then they could, but as she did not she was forced to move at Blood's pace and place her trust in his ability. That was not to say that she was not a proficient tracker in her own right, but his scent was growing ever weak, fading away with every passing second, so much so that she could scarcely pick up on it. Blood did not have this issue.

She did not have the time to even begin to guess which direction he had traveled in, relying soley on her son to keep them on the right path; not daring to second guess him in fear of losing Tyler.

She cursed herself for having been this careless. She'd been so concerned with keeping the territory safe for him that she'd neglected to keep him under lock and key. She couldn't expect him to not make a break for it the first chance he had; she'd had him attacked for fucks-sake. She'd just gotten him back, dammit. She couldn't lose him again so soon.

She let out a loud and furious howl that command her sons to move faster, the two looking to her with a quick glance before they did as order, putting everything they had and more into their search for Tyler.

She'd not lose him again, not as long as she could still draw breath.

Resisting the urge to break into her full speed, she calmed herself enough to race beside her son's as Blood brought her closer to him.

* * *

How far had he'd gone in his time from the pack? So much distance covered by them and still they were no closer to finding him. They'd been running for more than 10 minutes by now, and to a wolf such as they, 10 minutes at full speed was more than enough to cover miles, so why hadn't they found him by now? Winter was still able to detect his scent, how ever faint it may have been, and she followed the path he had traveled, but there was no possibility he'd gotten this far. He should have been found by now, even if he was running this very moment. He could not outrun them, especially her, no matter how much time he'd been moving beforehand, they should have caught up to him.

But it was strange his scent was still just as weak as when they'd started searching for him; at the very least she should be able to pick up on it easier, or have come across him.

As they ran though, something about the path ahead started to seem strange, giving a quick bark for the small pack to stop for a brief moment, the three skidding to a complete halt as Winter scanned the area around them, confused on this feeling of hers.

Blood and Shadow instantly dropped down to rest for as long as their mother allowed, Winter concerned now with why they had not found him yet.

Looking back towards the mountain, she could still make out its shape among the trees, using it as a reference point on how far they'd traveled. She'd spent lifetime's walking every inch of her territory, to the very borders surrounding it and back. Something about its distance and how long they'd searched told her that there was something she wasn't understanding, Tyler's still weak scent adding onto it.

She wondered about it. Looking towards her two panting sons with another command, ordering the two to remain while she moved on ahead alone, the two sitting up with bowed heads.

Taking a moment to get his scent again, she began to walk forward towards it, walking the trail he'd left for her to follow with a careful glance at her surroundings.

It was difficult to see, but much of the area she walked seemed somehow familiar. Not just because she knew the territory like the back of her paw, but as though she'd seen it only moments ago.

She moved through the forest slowly to see what else she could find; taking note of the path forward, littered with tracks that matched Tyler's, and more strangely, of wolves.

They'd seen only his so far, but now she was seeing these new tracks covered the area, as though multiple creatures had come through very many times, taking note that many of the tracks seemed to match her own, only worsening her confusion.

Looking forward as far as she could see, she finally ran ahead with all of the speed she could muster, for a moment believing something other than they were hunting him, yet what she come across filled her with a touch of fear.

Pushing past several thick bushes, she found her sons in the same clearing she'd left them in, both wolves tipping their heads to the side in confusion over her return.

Greatly surprised, she broke into a sprint once more, arriving back in only a few short seconds.

She couldn't explain what was happening or what trickery was at hand, several more times running past Blood and Shadow only to end up back where she had started, letting out a howl in frustration as she was getting nowhere.

She couldn't contain the anger she felt, continually running ahead repeatedly in her hope that he'd finally be there, only to have it broken with each failed attempt.

With her last run being no different than her first, she lashed out a nearby tree to vent her fury, leaving long and deep gashes across it from her strike, taking a seat as her anger quickly began to turn into sadness, so sure she had once more failed him.

Her two son's each took their place beside her to offer comfort to the worried mother wolf, but could do nothing else to console her in this time other than nuzzle against her.

For reasons she could not explain, something within the forest held Tyler captive, and it seemed it was not yet done with him. So for now, all she could do was hope he was returned to where he rightfully belonged.

In her worry, she let out a howl that echoed her grief across the territory, calling out to Tyler in hopes that he would come home to her, a call that her sons mimicked for their lost brother.


	19. Chapter 19

**The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter 19.**

* * *

He sat in the clearing for what seemed like an eternity longer than the time it'd taken him to reach this peaceful grove in a silent, meditative state, having cleared his mind to focus more on himself and what he was now capable of, and of what was now possible, having so many questions we could now answer.

Since he came across this place, he'd found himself spending the time he still had testing the exact limit of his increased awareness; seeing just how far it could extend before it overwhelmed him, finding that he could take it further and further with each attempt he made, letting himself sense his surroundings quickly becoming second nature to him as he adapted to it at an increasing rate, though doing so with caution only because he did not wish to have a repeat of the adverse effects that came with losing control over it. Wanting to gain a better handling of it as the excruciating first attempt was enough to have taught him the dangers of becoming focused on only what was beyond him instead of what was happening right in front of him; a lesson he was sure to remember for the rest of his days.

In addition to the time he used becoming adjusted to his heightened senses, it also gave his body the time it needed to get use to his increase in strength, the sunny orange aura still emanating from his body, and with it his power remained, feeling his strength greatly return, even more so than that first night.

With these factors, and having learned to analyze his current situation before anything else, he began to wonder how he now faired against Blood and Shadow at this new level of his; convinced that with this kind of power at his command, he'd be capable of fighting at least one of them to a stand still with the possibility of defeating them, so long as it was one on one, not entirely sure he was ready to take them both on just yet, having already seen how well the two fought together and not in any kind of hurry to relive that traumatic experience any time soon, yet was prepared for the likely event that he was dragged into another fight with the two as punishment for his absence, expecting it to be carried out once more on Winter's order, which is why she alone stood as his most difficult obstacle; she being the final test he would face before leaving the mountain.

Even if this power of his was enough for him to somehow overcome the twin wolves, which he wholeheartedly doubted, it was not nearly enough for him to possibly even consider challenging the powerful and deadly Alpha wolf, as he did not believe he'd posses the kind of strength necessary to fight her on equal footing so long as Blood and Shadow possed this much of a threat to him. It'd be foolish to fight her now, not only was she stronger than he was, but this was her territory. If he'd ever hope to defeat her, it'd have to be on his terms. Yet that day was far from here, and he was worrying about future events again.

"One problem at a time," he reminded himself with a deep breath in order to keep his mind calm and stay focused. "I'll worry about her after I've dealt with the twins, not before." Yet how exactly he'd go about, 'dealing with them', as he put it was not something he'd figured out how to di, as he could not decided whether or not he should fight them off each time they attacked him, or just solve the problem entirety by killing them. This all circled back to just why exactly he should even bother going back in the first place.

The thought of going back had seemed strange to him at first, as he'd be returning to a pack that was potentially going to relentlessly attack him once more, again and again, time after time, yet this thought no longer concerned him, as he saw the mountain wolf pack as the perfect opportunity to strengthen himself for when he would face the world once more. He was not afraid of them.

It was as he'd been told as well, the question of whether or not he could actually beat Blood and Shadow being something he needed to discover for himself, not allowing himself to pass up this challenge and the chance to grow, not afraid of it anymore. He'd already let himself run away from the night creatures that haunted his memory once before already because of his fear, he was not going to let that happen again with these wolves, no matter what misery or suffering he'd bring upon himself. He'd take it all and still find the strength to stand.

For whatever reason though, he did not feel as though the wolves were of any kind of threat as the creatures he saw were. At least for the moment though. Maybe that would change, maybe not, he didn't know, but as he said before, one problem at a time.

With one deep breath, he felt his power reach its end, opening up his eyes to the world around him, and for the first time, he was not afraid to be a part of it.

* * *

**The Winter Four: Xander.**

* * *

Our fist flew as the two of us engaged in the last fight one or both of us would ever take place in, savagely matching blow for blow as each of ud tried to overpower the other as cries for it rang all around us from its spectators, none louder than my team as they shouted encouraging words towards me and furious curses at Taios.

Even though the single greatest battle of our lives had commenced only moments ago, we both had gone all out for the first stage of our fight, holding nothing back as the other fought with their full strength as a way of acknowledging the other as their equal. If one of us was to die, let them die having given it their all and with no regrets. It had to be convincing when one died after all.

Taios caught my left fist after I threw a quick jab at him, only to return it in kind as I managed to catch his, saving myself from taking a very costly hit as I had quickly learned that Taios was just as strong as ever, and even more than I was, and just as dangerous.

Both of us attempted to hold the other in place while gripping their opponents hand, getting into a quick shoving match in which Taios began to take the upper hand, shoving me back even with my feet planeted firmly into the ground. I could not honestly say which of us would come out the victor of the day, but I could say that Taios was much stronger than I was, and much more aggressive, nearly matching Zag in terms of strength and wraith, worrying me immensely as I'd not had high hopes of winning to begin with.

Even with the odds more in his favor, he was just as afraid of the outcome of this battle as I was, and I wasn't about to start being scared.

Having had enough of being shoved around, I gave a strong enough push back to throw his hands towards his side, giving him no defense as I launched myself at him, bringing my knee straight into his gut, forcing him to hunch over with a loud scream while grabbing onto his shoulders and quickly following it up by lifting my other knee into his face, knocking him back onto the ground and leaving me with a moment of rest as he picked himself up off the ground, wiping away dirt and blood with a glare sent my way, which I returned as I took to my fighting stance, having won the first round miraculously enough.

Taios took a few extra moments to stop his nose from bleeding before he raised his fist up in response to my stance, each of us staring the other down.

Looking at him, I couldn't yet understand what else he was fighting for, not able to pick up on anything deeper, yet my reason for fighting was clear; if I lost here, I did not know if my team could resist taking charge against the Tongues there, and I feared for their lives because I knew they could not. I might have begun this fight in hopes of understanding what I felt about Taios, yet this had evolved into survival. I could not die just yet, not with so much on the line. I forgot that I was fighting because of my oath to Winter-Moor and of my ambition to become its king, I was fighting for my family.

With this goal burning within, I stopped giving him the time to clean his wound, surprising him when I suddenly charged in; landing a fierce blow across his face with my right hand, quickly turning it into a one two combo as I slammed my left fist against the side of the stunned Warchief's head, finishing it with a brutal upper swipe towards his already bleeding lips, making him jump for a moment as it whipped his head back harshly.

Having been unprepared for me lashing out, he was still unable to defend himself as the strikes had stunned him for a few short seconds, but that was all I needed, stepping back as I turned and shot my right leg straight into his chest, erupting blood onto my foot as he was once more thrown to the ground.

Having drawn first blood early into the battle, the fight quickly turned more towards my favor as I saw the supportive and excited faces of my team, while the other Tongues bore signs of sever fear for their Warchief. Suddenly the great pride of the Golden Tongues tribe was replaced with a dark and twisting feeling of the terror of Winter-Moor.

Turning my attention away from the crowd, I rushed in once more to keep the pressure on Taios, becoming more sure that I could actually beat him if I continued fighting this way. I could only hope the power I had was enough.

* * *

**The Apprentices: Xander.**

* * *

Most of us stared forward with a sulking expression, still disappointed with our orders as we marched forward in silence, though most of these upset faces came from only a few members of my team, the ones that did not the more mature ones; passing the gate of Winter-Moor on our way out of the colony and off towards a glorious battle, one we'd be missing out on, only hoping for a fight with the Tongues at the Lake, that being the only thing I was asking for.

We'd gathered the Legions just a bit before we started on the long journey towards the Frozen Desert. At least they were; The rest of us apprentices were to quickly break off from the main war party and make our way towards the Golden Lake as fast as we could.

In our Warband was us of Alpha, yet it also included the other apprentices of the other three Special Forces traveling towards the Desert: Beta, Delta, and Gamma all by our sides as Aiden spoke of the battle plans towards the rest of those there.

The other three teams didn't exactly seem as let down as we were, but I didn't bother to ask how they felt, not wanting to know that they weren't on my side either, a bit angry that I had not been supported, having arrogantly convinced myself that their views should always be my own if I was the team leader.

I was still incredibly pissed off for this lesser assignment we were getting; My place was by my mentors side, dammit. Not on a Scouting mission. I could do so much more than this and I was eager to prove myself. Only, I was a little too eager for my own good, still not understanding yet why our mentors had made this decision.

As Alpha went over their plan for battle, we apprentices gathered around in silence, all of us exchanging a nod in greeting as it had been some time since any of us had seen another apprentice team, having extensively trained with our respective squads for the longest time. Partially, this is why I was so angry; what was the point of all that training if I was only going to be shoved into a corner at the first sign of danger? This wouldn't be my last mission, there'd be other times to showcase myself, I just wish I'd thought about that during that day, and having not been so mad at Aidan.

While the rest the teams gathered around, the leading members, myself included, stepped away together to speak for a moment of our own plans.

Maybe it wasn't for battle as I wanted, but dammit, I was at least going to lead this team, that wasn't going to be taken away.

Each of the four of us there were the future of our teams, which we were immensely proud of. Normally Special Forces teams were independent on missions, but more often than not Alpha took command over this Joint operations, so I didn't necessarily have to take charge over the scouting mission but I figured it was the only way I was gonna salvage my first mission.

The first among us four to speak was the oldest of the leaders and the most experienced, a dark haired hazle eyed boy about four years older than I, Virgil his remembered name, and leader of the Beta team apprentices. "Xander," he said with a polite nod to greet me, a gesture in which I returned. "Thomas," he said to our newest Gamma team leader, Thomas was still a few years older than me, as I was the youngest of the team leaders.

Finally he gave one last nod to the second eldest of the four Leaders, having been with his team almost as long as I had. "Evan." He said to the ash hair coloured Delta team leader.

We were quick to greet each other before the three looked to me to hear my words, for ever though I was the youngest I had still been at this longer than they, and they respected that enough to listen. "Have you all been informed of our mission?" I asked them, Virgil speaking for the others for the moment. "Not so much. We were told to follow your lead, but that was about it."

"Mind filling us in?" Evan asked as he stepped forward, Thomas hanging back a bit in silence, as he was still nervous. Poor bastard and only been leader for about six months and he was out here now, so it was understandable.

"We should go over more on our mission with all of the team, but since you asked," I began to motion Thomas closer as I told the three of them. "We're to split up from the Special forces teams and head to the Golden lake. The main war party is to engage the Golden Tongue camps there while we investigate the small number gathered there. See what's going on."

Virgil and Evan didn't seem to mind this, but after getting their orders, Thomas finally spoke up. "Scouting? We're not fighting with our mentors?"

I shook my head as my arms crossed, which Thomas took as a sign that I was angry with him, the boy looking down at his shuffling feet. "Just figured we'd be better off with the main Warband is all. Seems more like something to keep us out of the way."

Virgil followed the example I had not intended and nearly berated Thomas. "If this was nothing than they wouldn't bother to send us. It would just be wasted resources."

"If they didn't have their reasons than we'd be going with them. No sense in sending a large number of the fighting force away on an errand. We're just needed there it seems." Evan said in his agreement with Virgil, which kept Thomas quite about it. "I guess so."

I'd initially leaned more towards agreement with Thomas, but both Virgil and Evan made fair points, and I was beginning to see that now. Maybe there was some truth to their words, but I never got the chance to find that out.

I didn't bother to input anything else to the conversation. I guess because I was trying to seem like a good leader, so if I had Virgil and and Evan agreeing with me than I was gonna keep it that way. Gods damn fools the lot of us. We should have gone. I placed my trust into Aidan even though I was still disappointed with the mission, I only wish I hadn't.

With us finished with our discussion, we returned to our teams as Aidan finished his talk with the rest of the small army. "You have your orders. Stick to them and we may come out of this alive." As he spoke, the others gave excited cheers as he moved past them all on his way towards us, the apprentices gathering around to hear him.

He could see the passion for battle burning in our eyes, and something in us said that it was almost a shame not to use us, but he'd have only put us in danger.

Aidan still knew my disappointment in his ordering me away though, but he still needed me else where, kneeling down as he placed a hand on my shoulder with a looking of understanding. "I promise. Next mission we'll fight together." He said with a sort of fatherly tone that instantly told me that no matter what word he gave me, he was lying, whether he knew it or not, yet I smiled none the less.

The rest of us excitedly gathered around as he looked to us all at once, looking past our ages and lack of experience, so we could stand as tall as the champions of Winter-Moor did. "Though you may be young, you may feel unprepared, and you may even be afraid, but when you stare down your first Tongue in the heat of battle, I want you to remember one thing. Just one very important thing," He said as he and the others of the Warband raised their weapons for us, a kind complement not normally given to ones so young. "You are Winter-Moor!" They cheered out for those Tongues invading to hear, to know of the storm that came for them.

In kind, we returned this honor with our own call to war, a daunting call that would echo for the rest of our lives. "For Winter-Moor!"

With our cries shouted out across Snowfall, the two parties split apart to head to their respective battlefields, looking towards our mentors as they disappeared over the horizon before we did as well.


	20. Chapter 20

**The Stranger: Rewritten.**

**Chapter 20.**

* * *

**The Winter Four: Xander.**

* * *

How many times had I'd beaten him into the ground by now? I'd lost count. At least a dozen or so. No matter how many times Taios charged me or how many times he lashed out, I kept swinging. No matter how much my fist hurt or how bloodied they got, I just kept punching.

No matter how much Taios was bleeding or how badly he was beaten, he just kept fighting. No matter how much guilt started to rise in me, I just kept beating him back, tempted to start holding back the more I saw he wasn't keeping up. I don't know if this was a result of my training, but I was just glad to finally be fighting this well against Taios. Taking out some kind of frustration with each blow I landed, angry that he'd made me feel something towards the people I was suppose to be killing. I couldn't very well lead my kingdom in its war efforts of my conscious was going to cause me this much trouble. If I held back doing future battles, than I could get myself or my team killed.

Even though I didn't much care for my feelings at that moment, I could admit that I felt uneasy about this fight. I didn't know how I managed to push it away this guilt, the crippling sickness that came with watching myself kill a young man only fighting because his tribe told him too.

I don't know what was with me today. Why of all days did I have to be winning against him, one of my most dangerous enemies only to have this burdening guilt weigh me down. I felt so strong knocking around my long time rival, so powerful and brave that I was taking the fight against enemies of Winter-Moor into my own hands, that I could finally stand there and fight the Tongues.

These were people that had taken what they'd wanted from my people and with no regard for the damage it did, but just watching Taios fighting back reminded me that they weren't any great scourge. They weren't like the creatures. But I'd spent so long fighting the Tongues that I'd convinced myself that they were no better, taking a look at the demonic image that was the mask of the Warchief Taios has taken off. Up until now, I had forgotten that there was a person behind the masks of the Tongues, having believed that they were just faceless intruders that should be given no mercy.

Nothing about this was right. Genocide was genocide no matter what side it came from, and for the longest time, that's what I'd sought; having thought that that judgment was mine to deliver, that because they were my enemies that made it righteous. It was only now that I realized that for all the blood I'd ever spilled-having become drenched in it- they had never sought our destruction, only something that they considered holy.

Dammit I had to be right, I just had too. Because if I was wrong than what was all this fighting for then. What had I'd been fighting for these past years? These people weren't the creatures, but I'd spent so much of my time fighting them as though they were. They weren't anywhere near as bad as the Blood Traders, but then, here I was, not fighting either.

I shook my head to get the distracting thoughts out of my mind as I returned to the battle, blocking another one of Taios' wild hits, raising my right arm up into its path and stopping it half way. He'd thrown his arm hard enough that blocking it caused him to recoil back for a moment before I dug the joints of my first two fingers into his shoulder blade, causing him to wince as his arm went limp.

Taios didn't have many options left available to him as every attempt he made was painfully countered, just throwing randow punches and kicks at this point, taking his left arm back with a heavy swing heading my way, swiftly forcing my elbow into his forearm while successfully knocking it back.

Taios would have fallen back if he didn't still have the strength to stand, only I kept up the pressure enough to make sure he kept on the defensive, not wanting to give him any room to breath as I wound my fist back, slamming it across the side of his head after its brief charge.

It almost appeared to have been enough to have knocked him unconscious, his eyes looking as though they'd rolled back into his head, yet taking changes during this fight was something I would not do, promptly taking a hold of his left hand with my right as he stumbled back, yanking him back harshly with another heavy strike across his face, giving everything I had into each strike.

Taios had spit up enough blood to fill a bucket by now, each added hit only did more to erupt a greater amount, the WarChief only able to scream as he placed his hand upon his newest wounds, being spun around as he fell onto his knees while keeping his free hand on the ground to steady himself the best he could as he coughed up only more blood, my guess being he was suffering through some internal bleeding. If he didn't stop now, than he'd drop dead before I even got my chance to kill him.

He deserved honor in his death, and who better to give him a nobler death than Winter-Moors Alpha leader. Yet it was so pitiful to see him like this, barley able to pick himself up from the dirt, blood leaking for his mouth, suffering through the fight just to stay on his feet. This wasn't the Taios I knew. What had happened to the powerful Warchief who'd nearly killed me more than once? He'd been my greatest rival, the boy that kneeled before me, my reason for becoming strong. This isn't how I wanted it to end. He didn't deserve this kind of death. I didn't want this for him, and I pleaded with him. "You're done, Taios. Concede and end this." Taios only shook his head as he tried to push himself up, defiant to the bitter end and much to my dismay.

I respected him for his fighting spirit, but it had to end. And if he wouldn't stop, than neither would I.

Grabbing onto his shoulder, I brought my knee straight into his stomach before standing him up, pulling him forward as I knocked my head into the bridge of his nose.

Taios weakly stood after the hit, raising his arm up as he threw another punch at me, carrying no real strength with it, hitting just to hit.

"You're weak now, Taios," I told him as I threw his fist back, walking forward as I continued to block each crazed hit of his, Taios exhausting himself the further the fight went on, watching the very life drain from his eyes. "Warchief's...Can't lose...Not like this..." Taios put whatever strength he had left into one last futile strike that was poorly aimed, only having to step off to the side to dodge it before I extended my leg out, tripping and sending him falling face first into the dirt.

All became silent as Taios went still, only the sounds of his raspy breathing to be heard, stepping closer to the nearly dead WarChief with a saddened gaze. I kneeled down to him as I watched Taios' only movements, getting himself upto his knees as he groaned in pain. "For what its worth, I'm sorry," I said sincerely to him, for no others could hear me. "I never wanted it to go like this."

"But you did. I know what you think of my tribe, and of me before now." He said with a hard breath in, and a small glance at me.

Taios had been right of course. But I wasn't gonna admit that. "Doesn't matter. Stop fighting, and I promise a quick death," When I rose up though, I screamed out for every last gods damn tongue to hear me, furious for what Taios had become, all because of them. "But I promise no such thing to your tribe! Let every Tongue still breathing learn the chill of death!" I threatened the tribe that would force him through this pain, pushing my anger away from Taios and onto them, many of them that could understand my words flinching back in fear, while others did so only because I'd yelled.

Something inside told me though, that their suitation was no different than my own. I think it was the only thing I could do to keep my anger away from Winter-Moor, to keep lying to myself.

After hearing my words, Taios began to lift his head up, his shaking from the beating having stopped. Looking towards him, I took it as a sign of his acceptance of death, to which I raised my fist up, ready to deal the killing blow. "You'll kill them all?" He asked me, freezing me for a second too long as I picked up on the mysterious venom dripping from his tone. He hadn't actually asked me a question, just repeating what I'd said. I chose to ignore it though.

"You have my word." I promised him as though I'd just lifted the weight of the world off his shoulders, as if I'd taken on some kind of burden from him. I thought that I'd be doing him some kind of favor, since I knew he couldn't just kill his own tribe. That was my mistake.

With a moment of silence in between his question and my promise, I brought my fist back, tensing my arm up for the hit to set him free, bones cracking as I did.

I wanted to make stop now, to bring to his suffering, intending for this to be my last strike, all of the strength I had in my fist as I let it fly for the final time.

There was the booming sound of my fist colliding with him, then a deathly silence.

I could only stare in bewilderment at Taios, only confused to see him having caught my fist before it could finish its purpose. I tried to pull my hand back not too long after it happened, but he had an iron grip on my fist, keeping me from moving.

Suddenly, I became fearful as he began to stand, filled with only dread as he turned to face me, a kind of rage on his face that told me how badly I'd fucked up.

Instinctively, I fought to get out of his grip, throwing my left fist at him only to have it caught us well.

I couldn't pull my arms free from him and he kept me on the spot, barley able to move at all. I didn't understand his anger, I was only doing what I thought was the right thing. "Let me go!" I demanded of him.

"Gladly." Taios said as he threw my arms back, leaving me open long enough for him to swing both of his wrist onto my ears, getting a scream out of me as I covered them in pain, dazed as the world around me became a blurr.

I stupidly shut my eyes as a reaction, only to hear the loud growl Taios gave and feel the crushing blow coming from his right arm, spilling blood from me for the first time during the course of the fight, another coming just as fast from his left.

I was too out of it to fight back yet and he knew that, Taios quickly grabbing a handful of my hair as he kept the attacks going; another devastating blow landing the second he had me secured.

He relentlessly struck me with overwelmingly damaging attacks that I was helpless against, one hard punch straight into my face, an uppercut into my stomach that made me feel he'd just destroyed an organ, and finishing up with a strong knee into the same spot on my gut.

I'd had enough of it, quickly crossing my arms to block his knee before it could cause any further injury to my already shattered was quick to react to my resistance, striking my temple hard enough to make me go limp to ensure he had total control over the fight, sending me into a dizzy spell once more.

Hunched over while barley able to breath, I prayed he'd drop me to allow me a moment of rest, only to find him grabbing onto the waist of my pants and lifting my injured body over head into the air as he slammed me down on my back, hitting the ground hard below hard enough to cause a large indenture, quickly bending back as he flipped onto me with his left hand on my chest, mercilessly landing punch after punch to everywhere on my head.

I could feel myself start to drift in between consciousness and unconsciousness with every strike, managing to steal a glance towards my scared and outraged siblings before looking up to see the hate in Taios' eyes. Had he been holding back? Or had my words just given him the strength he needed to put aside his feelings and stand up and fight? This had been such a shock that I still hadn't begun to fight back. And with his last punch bringing me back to the fight, I fully embraced the fact that this was war. People died. People both young and old. Death came for us all. It would come for Taios one day, whether or not I killed him right there.

I finally managed to grab onto his fist to bring his attacks to a hault, my strength having returned to help me fight back once more, locking his hand in place just as he had done.

Taios knew exactly where the most damage was on my body though, taking his left hand straight down into my ribcage with another destructive punch, fully assuring me that he'd broken ribs.

I wasn't going to just keep being the victim in his attacks, working through the pain enough to send a forceful strike into the bridge of his nose strong enough to knock him off; only I wasn't done yet.

In retribution and in my anger, I grabbed onto his wrist as he'd made the attempt to jump back, pulling him forward and off his feet. And like a cannon, my leg shot straight out and into his sternum, Taios having this look of absolute pain plastered on his face as I kicked him back, both of us coughing up blood as he pushed ourselves to get back up, our fight not yet done.

I was almost hurt about his sudden and savage attack, wanting to ask him so badly why, but figured there was no reason for it. He'd filled my head so full of guilt and hope that it had kept him alive, for that, he would pay, glaring at Taios for this, seeing it as an act of betrayal of the understanding we'd had. "I'll fucking kill you." I angrily said to the bastard, watching as whatever connection we had become twisted in our anger and hate right in front of me, but at that moment I no longer cared, losing myself in my fury as I screamed out at him, charging in once more as he let loose his own war cry, rushing in to meet me head on, our battle now reduced to this much savagery.


	21. Chapter 21

**The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter 21.**

* * *

**Apprentices: Xander.**

* * *

We all kept a steady pace towards the Lake, making good time there ever since we left the company of the Warband. Even if we were to not take part in one of the greatest battles of Winter-Moor's long history, I was determined to complete the job I'd been given, no matter how disappointed I was with it. The rest followed closely behind me, the party moving at the pace I chose, and only the pace I chose, no more and no less. I wanted us there quick as could be, but not at such a rate that we'd become exhausted, not wanting to expend any more energy than was necessary. This was a Scouting missing after all, no need to kill ourselves in the process; me and the others needing all the strength we could spare to accomplish our task the best we could and fight off whatever was in our way, in the event it came down to that atleast, and young as we were we didn't have much to begin with, but together we just might stand a chance against anything we came across. I fully trusted in the power of Winter-Moor, and the strength that me and my friends possessed. And if we could overcome any challenge we faced along the way, than I had no doubts that our mentors could not do the same, not concerned for their safety in slightest as I figured I had no reason too.

I needn't worry myself over my mentor though-I told myself- I had more important things to focus on. And if anything, I'm sure he was more concerned for me than I was for him. Looking back to the rest of the division, I made sure my Commanders were close enough that they could see me motion my head for them to come closer; my Commanders consisting of the leaders of the apprentice division.

"Your orders?" Virgil asked me like the good solider he was, Thomas and Evan looking forward attentley to hear as well, smiling some as it made me feel more like the General of what passed for the army I was leading. Sure it wasn't much, but it was mine.

"I want the Scouts to move about 2 miles around us. They're to set up a proximity field and guard it with their lives. I want somewhere to fall back to in the event we're overwhelmed and to get first notice of any nearby threats. Make sure they understand how important this task is."

Each one bowed their heads in response, carefully memorizing each of my words as Virgil and Thomas fell back in line, Evan staying put still. "Delta has a Supply Runner if you want her on this task as well. She's not as fast as the Scouts, but she'll keep up." He informed me, taking a moment to ponder this.

Having another pair of eyes out in the field would be good, but I decieded against it. "No. Better to have her close by if we need extra gear."

"Yes, Xander." Evan said before he left to pass along my orders to the rest of his team, looking ahead as the three teams took the time they needed to organize themselves to fit my commands.

It wasn't long before our Scouts moved up in front of me and waited their orders, pointing out for the direction each one was to take. "Zero. The North." I told the white blurr as he nodded before speding off past me. "Yes, Xander!"

I knew the decision to move them out to be our alert for danger was right, that was their job, but watching Zero run ahead towards the most dangerous direction without us caused me to panic a bit, they'd be out there alone for most of the time, and if any of us were to come across enemy combatants first, it would most likely be Zero. It was a dangerous job, but I trusted him to get it down, putting aside my fears and placing my faith in my brother. He wouldn't be our best Scout if he couldn't get the job done after all.

"Nina. To the East!" The young Gamma brunette quickly doubled back the way we'd come as soon as I gave the order.

With them gone, our last two Scouts took their place for orders. "Elena, ash." I called to the Beta and Delta team scouts, who perked up in attention. "To the West. To the South."

Both gave a nod in response before taking off in their respective directions, leaving us to make sure we weren't walking into a trap or a wandering patrol. I'd hate for my first mission to end badly, with us getting spotted or someone being killed. I refused to let that happen. We were all gonna make it out of this, and I was gonna celebrate today's success with my team, and our mentors by our sides, maybe even drink my first drink right along side Aidan, and it was gonna be great.

I tried so hard to control these kinds of things. Things I wasn't prepared to handle at that age. No matter how hard I fought, or how strong I became, there was still an obstacle in front of me to overcome. Today would just be another one.

Even so, there were just some trials an 8 year old should never experience.

It was war, and I had a job to do, but that didn't make it right.

Following the trail towards the Lake, we did so with discretion in our fears that the Tongues were hidden just beyond the shadowy borders, a few short minutes ticking by before we came to its entrench, taking a quick glance at our surroundings to see none other than us were there.

No guards. No sentries. And not even a watchman posted at the borders to be seen. Stopping just short of approaching the gold filled lands as I thought more on why the Tongues would be here when the majority of their army was about to come into conflict with the armies of Winter-Moor.

While I believed in Winter-Moor's superiority over the Tongues, I knew they weren't stupid. They had the numbers to easily keep watch over every opening into the land, yet I'd seen none of the tribe thus far, and the Scouts would have reported back the moment they saw one.

Only a small patrol was stationed here, with the larger gathering of their forces drawing the rest of Winter-Moor's legions away from here.

Here, and away from the great treasure trove that held their holy icon captive.

...Gods dammit all...

Before the others could disturb my thoughts, I finally put it all together, cursing angrily as I realized what the tribe had done. "We're walking into a gods damn trap." I informed the rest of them, turning back to several confused faces.

"What are you talking about?" Virgil questioned me, some form of doubt in his expression.

I was quick to explain myself. "Not us. Them. Our mentors."

As soon as these words fell from my lips, Bid came to the same realization as I, everything carefully snapping into place. "Oh gods," He said darkly, "that's what they wanted. They wanted us to move up on them in the desert. They'd have all the time they needed to excavate the gold."

Evan let out a small growl as he wipped his head back. "And we took the bait."

Bid didn't seem to be understanding this, shaking his head as this plan of theirs confused him. "Are you sure? They'd be sacrificing an awful lot their own."

"That's the question, now isn't it?" Miz said as he turned towards the axemen, attempting to explain it to him, for he understood the Tongues and their ways better than of us. "They've already shown they'll kill and die for gold. They're just crazy enough to do this on a mass scale for this religion of theirs.

Concern started to spread throughout our numbers as each of us started to worry about what we were about to walk into. If this was as I thought, then the patrol had to be made up of their strongest warriors. Why else would they make this look so sloppy? It made so much gods damn sense that even I started to feel a touch of fear.

"We should turn back." Thomas voiced his opinion, many nodding in support of this idea. "They could be expecting a small number of us to be sent in. They could know were coming right now." This thought alone was enough to spread a cold fear to the others, especially the youngest of us. None of us were prepared to face a full scale battle without support. This was our deaths we could be walking into. And none of them liked that idea.

But I wasn't gonna believe that. I wasn't going to just stand aside and wait for my teacher to come running and protect me. I understood their fear. This was something entirely new, a challenge we'd never faced. But being afraid didn't mean we weren't strong.

"No. I won't go back." I said to them all, my team especially happy to hear me say this

"We don't know what we'll be facing." Thomas argued again, terror screaming from his gaze.

"And neither do they. Adults they expect. Not children. Not us. We have the advantage against them. They won't be going for the kill during the start." I said with a look that told him to back down, Thomas taking the hint as he looked towards the ground.

Virgil seemed immensely impressed by this, taking his turn to speak, but only to test my resolve. "We were to scout them only. If we can confirm this, then we should report it back. Let them handle it. We don't have the order to engage."

"Clarence be damned. They're not here, but we are," I said in a way that to this day, many looked upon me like Aidan himself was standing there. "By the time we even get back, they'll have made off with who knows how much gold, and they'll have won. I refuse to let that happen. If I say we fight, than we fight!"

Many of us began to show this look of determination, especially Zag, in her I could see the beginning's of her unwavering loyalty.

Many others remained unconvinced though, so I went on. "When Aidan first gave me this mission, I was so disappointed. Like he didn't trust me to stand with him and fight," I said honestly to them. "But this isn't about my ego or my drive to become him. This is our kingdom too. This is our home. I want the Tongues here to know that even the children of Winter-Moor will stand against them."

With my final words, I knew I had them. "If I have to go alone, I will. But fight with me, and lets drive these bastards back where they belong."

Just about every face lit up with a furious storm of belief in ourselves, nearly all raising their left arm up in a song of war as I lead them though it. "Through the snow we trek, far from home," the rest followed up with our chant, feeling a surge a pride as we sang. "We stand strong, for the Winter throne!"

"Sting of frost and chill of death, know our name."

We were aware of how loud we could be, yet even though our cries were hushed, they echoed out toward the heavens above.

"Winter-Moor!" We all said together, our spirits renewed and our minds sharp for the task ahead.

While others began to march on, I took notice of Thomas and the members of Gamma, still afraid to move. Though they had joined us in song, they still had fear holding them back, I could see it clawing at them.

As I went to consol them, I found myself interrupted before I could say a single word, looking back to the sounds of someone running through the words, seeing Ash having returned to us, out of breath.

"Report." I order him as he ran towards me. "5 Tongues. Nina followed the trail of three of them, but two of them surprised her."

Thomas instantly became alert because of this, having forgotten his fear. "Was she harmed?" I asked him, quick to shake his head. "No. Elena was nearby when the fighting started, so now their both holding their own."

This is exactly the push that Thomas needed. Learning one of his sisters was in danger was enough to snap him out of his timid nature and into the leader he was supposed to be. "Where's Zero?" He asked quickly, Ash taking a quick look back and forth between us, not sure whom to answer too, yet I simply nodded to reassure him, and he continued. "Another two Tongues came across the fight and retreated back to alert the rest of the party, so Zero ran after them after ordering me to find you." There was a tange of guilt in his eyes as he couldn't bare to face Thomas anymore, basically telling us he'd abandoned them in Thomas' mind. "I think he sent me off cause I was afraid. So I just ran. I don't know if I should have stayed and fought, but I'm sorry."

I stepped forward to Ash and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, not angry with him at all, had he not, than renforcments wouldn't be on their way. "No, you did well reporting this back to me."

Ash showed signs of forming a smile over this, yet Thomas quickly shouldered his way past the young Scout, angry after having learned this. "Speak for yourself," he said as he began to walk on, only turning back to issue a warning to Ash. "If she's hurt, you and I are gonna have words." With this said, Thomas and the rest of Delta quick took off to go help Nina, leaving a devastated Ash behind, and me to pick up the pieces.

"He's just worried about her. Don't mind him." I said, trying to pass off Thomas' threat as mere worry, but Ash took it hard. "He's right though."

I would have said more, yet time wasn't something we had anymore. "I know you're upset, but we'll talk about it later. Right now we need to get moving."

Ash only gave a small nod before we moved on, following closely behind Gamma and off towards our first true battle. The very battle where I would both gain my taste for the throne, and my hatred of the Tongues.


	22. Chapter 22

**The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter 22**

* * *

**The Apprentices: Xander.**

* * *

We managed to keep up with Ash well enough through our run in the forest, the Scout holding back his speed somewhat to accommodate the rest of the team the best he could, tempted to outrace us several times, though refrained from doing so, knowing he was the only guide we had at the moment Normally moving a large force quickly and without any real direction was cumbersome, but we didn't have much of a choice, doing all we could to avoid tripping over each other in our rush to get to our endangered Scouts, the most worry stricken look plastered on Thomas' face as his fear for his own heavily weighed upon him. I think he was just now seeing the hardships we as leaders faced, not having spent all that much time prepared to handle these kinds of situations as the rest of us. This would not be the last time he'd face them however.

"How much longer Ash?" I called out to the boy, stopping for a moment from jumping from the trunks of the trees to take a quick glance back, having taken a higher point of view so to keep a visual up ahead of us, still on the look out for danger just in case, deathly threats still roaming these lands. "Not much! Just a little further!" He yelled out before taking back off into a sprint, much faster than the rest of us as he easily passed up those that had done the same to him when he'd stopped.

As soon as he was back on the move, Miz came up beside me for a few words. "What're your thoughts?" Miz asked of me, not looking to him as we crossed over a few fallen trees, clearing the large fallen trunks quickly. "We find the Tongues and kill them." I may have said this a little too quickly, worrying my brother some. "You ready for this? This'll be the first time many of us have ever been an in actual fight."

I only looked ahead of me, not bothering to answer, since honestly I didn't know myself. I talked a big game, but I'd never drawn the blood of another human; never held the life of someone in my hands. While I'd only ever taken down creatures, I didn't know how that compared to killing a man or a woman, or even a child, which was a very real possibility, and I didn't know if I was eager to find out. I knew I couldn't focus on it though. This was my job, and I had to see it through, but I think that just made it all the more difficult.

"If we make it out of this I'll let you know."

He held a look of concern for me before he turned back, trying not to voice his worry, since placing doubt in my head was the last thing I needed.

Though, taking a little glance at all of us there, I realized he was right. How many of us had ever actually killed another? Too few of us to count, Virgil the only one that came to mind. Even if they never had, were they ready to? Was I ready to di the same? When the moment came would I hesitate? Would the youngest of us found themselves with the same inner turmoil?

I gritted my teeth some in response to the realization of just how ill prepared we actually were, if I had to wonder how many of us could actually run someone through with their sword than we really weren't ready to have participated in the battle. This kind of hesitation got people killed. Maybe Zag had it in her to kill, and Miz as well if he was defending us, but beyond that I wasn't sure.

It must have been obvious how much this worry had started to eat at me, because I finally came out of it when Virgil called my name, looking up to the older team leader with a shake of my head to clear my thoughts. "We'll be fine."

I nearly ended up blushing over him having seen my doubts, though gave him a smile for him having eased the tension I felt.

He knew the signs of this just being my fear over my first real mission, falling back some to stand beside me. "Nervous?"

I couldn't lie to him, even to make the others more confident in me, only because he'd been where I was long before I started training so he knew where all the fear was coming from, so I could find someone to confined in. "Yeah. I'm not Aiden," I nervously admitted to him. "I don't know how to lead like him. I was so excited for my first mission, but now that I'm here, I don't know what I should do."

Virgil offered me his understanding, knowing that more responsibility was given to me for being the Alpha leader, and even though I would one day lead him, he was here to guide me towards that day. "You'll never really know if what you're doing is right or not. You just have to trust it is."

He knew this isn't what I wanted to know though, giving me a truth I'd never considered. "People die, Xander. Sometimes they die saving the day, sometimes needlessly. You can't control what they die for, and you can't save everyone."

This was a hard fact for me to accept, but I listened to him intently. "Who can I save then? How can I take over for Aiden by leading others to their deaths."

"You think Aiden never had anyone die on him? He's lead people to their deaths then he cares to admit, and one day you will too."

I almost became angry with him for saying this. How could the greatest Alpha team leader have ever let someone die? I just didn't understand it yet.

"Sometimes you have to make the hard choice of who lives and dies. Maybe you won't always have this choice, but more often then not it'll be up to you to decide who survives. And who gets left behind."

I didn't believe it to be that simple, but in the end it really wasn't. To decided on how to make that choice wasn't something I thought I could make lightly, and I didn't know if I could make it. Guess today was my time to find out.

"I'll keep that in mind." I promised him before running ahead to my team, Virgil looking on with a knowing gaze.

I stepped back into the ranks of the rest of my own team, carrying with me my look of disgust over Virgil's words, noticeably effected by it enough that Miz felt the need to comment on it

"You alright?" He asked me, still just looking ahead with that determined look of mine.

I could only give these sounds of disgust and disappointment over Virgil's truth, angered because he'd made me realize it, and that I knew he spoke rightfully. "He's wrong." I said to him, hushed as to not have Virgil hear me. "If I don't have the power to save everyone then what good am I?"

"Don't take it personally, Xander," Miz advised me, as he always did in the moments I needed it most. "Virgil's been at this longer than any of us, so he knows what he's talking about."

"Don't you start either." I snapped at him, refusing this point of view for as long as I could. Maybe I did see the truth in it, I just didn't want to believe it, and I didn't need Miz try to tell me the same, else he'd see my fury.

I wanted to hold my own beliefs for as long as I could, long until this world shattered it.

Miz could see my discomfort with the topic, and respectfully left it alone, having made his own plans for Aiden to have sat down with me and talk about it at the end of the day, he'd tell me later on. I wished he'd tried to convince me right then in there, because I'd only invited tragedy upon myself.

I could just feel his worry for me radiate, and eventually I grew tired of it, giving a small huff in annoyance before moving back into Gamma, figuring I could trust in them not to tell me such things, knowing their inexperience would prevent such things.

Though I think I'd preferred Miz and his bothersome concern for me over seeing Thomas' own for Nina, the sheer level of panic and anxiety stricken on his face enough to cause those same feelings that Miz and Virgil had shown towards me and my toubles to surface for Thomas and his thoughts of what could be happening to her every second he was not there, the ideas racing through his mind must have been filled with nothing but darkness over what the Tongues could do, knowing well enough that not even children were to be spared by the tribe. Male children were to be slaughtered, same as every other adult warrior. The girls suffered a much worse fate, many before them having chosen to take their own lives rather than suffer the indignities and torture that lay in wait at the hands of the Tribe.

I could not ease his burden and fear any more than I could my own for Zero. Having gone after three warriors on his own seemed like a foolish idea, but right to do so. We could not afford to be revealed yet, but the worst thing about it was not knowing how Zero faired against two men of the tribe without any support, or even if he had the metal to take a life himself.

Maybe I could do nothing for Thomas, but at the very least I could offer him my support. "You worry for her."

"Is it that obvious? Weird how I'd worry for a one of my own siblings." He said sarcastically with a look towards me, trying to hide his fears any way he could, not wanting the rest of Gamma to see his true feelings, for they looked upon him as a source of strength, something I deeply admired him for. I understood now that his anger with Ash had been false, nothing but a front for the sake of the others.

I didn't want make him break this, so I simply placed a hand upon his shoulder for a quick moment, a silent whispered promise of her safety followed.

Thomas had needed this more than he'd realized, shutting his eyes tightly as he ran his wrist across his eyes quickly enough to prevent any tears from falling, a small nod of thanks returned to me for the kind gesture I'd made, picking up speed to match Ash as my own determination spread to him, giving him enough hope to push on and forcing Ash to use even more of his own speed just to stay ahead.

I couldn't help but let out a small smile over this, to see how my words could reach someone enough to give them the courage to fight, feeling somewhat like a teacher, something I'd be when the time was right for me to become the true leader of Alpha.

Maybe this is what Virgil had tried to do for me, but for these next few moments I would not heed his words, having placed too much trust in this imaginary power I believed I and Aiden possessed. This lesser version of it that Virgil had tried to have tought me about was something I could not wrap my mind around, so I had to chase after the greater of the two in my belief of its possibility of existence.

I'd convinced myself that if I could not gain it through my own strength, I would rise to claim it in another way, and this coming conflict was about to become the very source that would give birth to that conviction.

With even the least experienced of us all now moving forward with a hunger for battle and a determination for victory, I pressed on faster myself, moving the teams along at a much greater pace, walking towards the sounds of our girls in combat with the very Tongue Tribesmen they had come into conflict with, hearing the sounds of both sides fighting for their lives.

* * *

I could honestly not tell anyone that I was not vastly impressed by the two Scout's combat abilities when we stormed into the clearing to provide the two with extra blades, seeing one Tongue dead on the ground before we'd even set foot upon the bloodied grounds, and the other two pressed into a corner as Elena and Nina danced ever so gracefully across the battlefield, scarcely a drop of their blood or a cut of flesh to be seen upon the girls, while the markings of the Tongues told a different story; small cuts and open gashes stretched up and down their bodies, slashing away with the golden spears they held in vain as their opponents simply dashed away from danger before inflicting onto their already injured bodies several more cuts in the time it took for the older Warriors to recover enough to launch another failed strike.

I nearly stopped us all in our tracks, if only to see how the girls faired against the Tongues, yet even if Thomas hadn't been in the front I don't think he would have stood for that order or even have heard me with how much adrenaline he had coursing through him, charging forward towards Nina and her opponent with weapons drawn, screaming to the Tongue in his outrage with the rest of his team following in his stead to protect their sister, the enemy Warrior knocking back Nina for a quick moment before hearing the war cries of Gamma, turning back to face the stampeding younglings with a heavy breath, foolishly taking his eyes off of Nina, who took the moment of confusion to latch onto the Tribesmen's body, plunging her dagger into his neck with a proud roar, the Tongue falling to his knees with a blood curdling cry as his voice dropped into the haunting death rattle, sending a shiver down my spine as I watched the life drain from his eyes.

I wasn't sure if Thomas had become aware of Nina's victory, or if he just wanted his quick moment of passing vengeance, but regardless of reasoning, I watched him tackle the Tongue to the ground, ripping the dagger from his body harshly enough to take patches of skin straight out, repeatedly taking the blade into already beaten Tongue with unnecessary violence, taking the tribesmen life himself with no hesitation seen in his actions.

While Thomas utterly slaughtered the Tongue that had fought with his sister, Evan and the rest of Beta came to the aid of Elena in her own struggles. She had miraculously managed to avoid any injuries thus far, mostly thanks to her own greater speed over her opponents, though more due in part to Nina having fought more of the battle for her, while she had not really been able to damage him like Nina had done in her own fight.

We were quick to storm the area, so when the Tongue wrapped his arm around her neck in a deathly choke hold, Evan was on him in a moments notice, bashing his forehead into the Tongues nose to force him to release his grip as blood sprayed upon the three, jumping onto him the moment he fell as he and the rest of Beta swarmed him, the cries of this Tribesmen drowned out in the noise that was Evan and his teams screams of battle, beating and slashing the doomed soul mercilessly until he went silent, and Evan stepped back away from him to check on their Scout, having left behind him nothing but a bloody and decrepited husk that was indistinguishable from the tribesmen that had stood only seconds ago.

Evan wiped the blood from his sisters face as he checked her for wounds, ignoring the fact he'd just taken a life in favor of seeing to her. I could see just how badly Elena was visibly shaken by the encounter, a cold fear frozen in the girls gaze as she dropped her blade onto the ground as that fear spread to the rest of her body.

She was not of my team, so I did not have to be there to comfort her, that was Evan's job, I was more heavily focused on where Zero had gone, and if my snow haired brother was unharmed. Elena was far too gripped by the fear of the battle, so I didn't bother spending the energy to even try to make out whatever incoherent babaling she'd spout out, walking myself over to the more hardened Gamma scout, who'd simply rejoined her team in their discussion of their worry for her, flooding Nina with question after question of the fight and if she was still fit ti fight, more of these of her health and injures being asked by her own sister, the younger Jamie.

I pushed through the small crowd of Gamma that had gathered around her, watching her and Matt finally pulling their leader off of the long dead corpse that Thomas had continually assaulted for a longer period of time than was necessary, the boy having experienced a sort of mental breakdown by my guess.

I wasn't going to wait for them to get a hold of Thomas any longer than I needed to, whistling loudly to catch Nina's attention, who promptly shoved Thomas into Matt for him to restrain, who proceeded to lock his arms down so he could not continue his onslaught.

Calling Nina to myself, I stepped away with her as to avoid having to hear or see Thomas, serving as an irritating distraction.

"Yes, Xander?" She said with a quick look to back to Thomas, careful to keep an eye on him in the even Matt was unable to restrain him any longer.

"Ash reported back that Zero went on himself to find the three other Tongues."

Focusing back on me, she nodded with what Ash had told me, further confirming it. "That's right."

I didn't know how long ago Zero had left, but I wasn't going to waste anymore time leaving him out there to fight alone.

"Where'd he'd go?" I firmly asked her with the dark tone of an older brother out to protect his younger sibling, frightening her for a split moment, pointing out towards where he'd gone. "North."

Looking back, further into the snow, I could just make out in the outline of the trees the great stone mountains that waited for us, for the mountain he had traveled was known to many, simply as Rising Wolf Mountain.

* * *

**If anyone didn't know, here's a fun fact.**

**Fun fact #1: Xander's name is not pronounced as the usual 'Zan-der' Its actually pronounced as 'X-an-der'**


	23. Chapter 23

**The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter 23.**

* * *

**The northern mountain pack: Winter.**

* * *

Winter paced around the small clearing she and her son's were trapped within, impatiently waiting for the forest to return Tyler to them so they could return to the mountain where they could properly protect their new charge, having grown tied of still finding themselves walking around in nothing but circles, no matter which way they went they were returned to this same damned clearing and no longer trying to get out as they'd found it was useless to try. Nothing but wasted energy.

This did wonders to raise the mother wolf's temper, storming around in irritation the longer they were not permitted to leave. The forest had him for the moment, so be it, she'd wait for him no matter how long it took she'd done once before already, at the very least Blood and Shadow should be allowed to leave, for this was her responsibility more than it was theirs, they were simply here at the behest of their concerned mother. But that worry had put her pack into a dangerous position, as of this moment, the pack was lacking its more powerful fighters there, and in the event something happened then it was on her, for in her haste to find Tyler she'd neglected to decide to leave one of her two sons behind to watch the pack in her place as she usually did. She could have let them handle his recovery, but the instincts of a mother were not easily ignored anymore than the call to hunt. The two had at first tried to calm their mother in her worry, but a few quick growls was enough to tell them to leave her be, sitting nearby as they watched her stalking about.

Her only relief in this was that there was one other wolf there, even stronger than Blood and Shadow individually, who she knew could keep the pack together and safe in the absence of the three, who was the only thing standing between her and the other members of the pack trying to usurp her command over the wolves. This was not an act done intentionally, but in the event that she was gone for long periods then their instincts were to replace her with a new Alpha, of course though, when she returned that new leader would either immediately stand down and would fall back in line under her command, or have enough courage to take a stand by challenging her, which often ended very badly for the other. There had only ever been a few occasions this had happened, but ever since the birth of Blood and Shadow this no longer was something to worry herself over; the duo enough to handle any single opponent they came up against. This was really the first time all three had left for something other then hunting or defending the territory, so she did not know what would happen with them all gone, and she did not know for what length of time this would be. Even if it was to search for Tyler, the pack had not come to accept him yet, so no excuse could be made for her having taken them both away from the mountain.

The pack itself was mainly composed of Winter's own flesh and blood, so they would make no such claims so long as she remained alive, for her children were fiercely loyal to her and her alone, yet there were still many more not her offspring, for every so often with the passing seasons would they take in a wolf, if only to keep her own from breeding with each other. At least six different bloodlines existed within the pack, to ensure this never happened, but at the same time it was a challenge to keep the pack from electing a new alpha when she was gone for long periods of time with so many bloodlines not directly connected to hers, and even more not her of her own lineage.

With so many things on her mind, her uncertainty eventually managed to overtake her anger, becoming exhausted from it for it did no good to make herself sick so much, taking a seat as she looked up at the mountains she had lived upon for many moons, wondering what was happening upon the ancient stones of her home. If not for the pups father being there, than who knows what she'd be returning too, putting trust in her mate for the time being, knowing Stone Jaw could keep the peace until her return. Whenever that would be exactly.

Taking a quick glance over towards where Blood had been leading them, she wondered if even he could pick up the trail now. His scent having gone weak some time ago, and if so, she wondered if Tyler could find his way back, if he even planned to return at all. Before long there would be no trace of him, and no way to pursue him. And should that happen then she had only failed him again.


	24. Chapter 24

**The Stranger: Rewritten.**

* * *

**Chapter 24.**

* * *

**A Stranger's journey.**

* * *

I spent my time here in the clearing well enough, having taken all that I needed to grow back to full strength and become adjusted to the increased level, just a few short minutes more and I'd be set for my rematch with the wonder twins, knowing full well the two were going to challenge me, opening my eyes back up to the world from my meditation with a renewed feeling of certainty. So much of the land was now open to me, for once I had been deaf to the world around me, now I could hear and see all that I had not. Having focused myself to the point that I could still hear all things surrounding me, yet not be become over stimulated by it like before.

Now feeling more ready to return back to the wolves, I stood up from the ground as I looked up to the sky above, taking in the first breath of the new world I'd entered, watching the snow clouds start to role in the longer I stayed here, something I did not wish to see happen. I had enjoyed the warmth this clearing had given me, so to see this place become yet another addition to this already wintery hell of a land saddened me immensely. But I was greatly thankful for what this place had done, to do its best to prepare me for what was to come, even if I didn't fully understand what that was.

In my moment of silent thanks, the wiseful voice l had heard once before, that had walked me through my instance of suffering, spoke once more words of guidance. "The cold will reclaim this place once again, but it shall not disappear. There are many more sacred places all around the land you walk on, but never in one place do we remain for long."

"They move around then?" I questioned it, a bit happy as it meant I could find it again if I ever needed it.

"Correct. We follow where the energy of the land flows, wherever that may be." It explained to me, wondering where it would go next.

I wanted to know where it would leave for, not wanting to lose this feeling of strength, yet maybe that was for the best. I had to find my own way, and becoming dependent on these places wasn't the way to do that. And yet still, I was curious. "How can I find them?" I almost desperately asked, not trying to sound pathetic, just speaking out loud my wonder, almost wanting to know what these other places were like.

"You can't. For this is how we safeguard our secrets and power. You can only find us once we reveal ourselves."

"To those that need it the most?" I asked, starting to understand their purpose for existing.

I received no answer to this, the voice having faded into the winds, nothing more than soft whispers that began to fade, some small amount of warmth still left in the clearing as its brightly covered leaves soon became white as the cold returned, one by one dying off, feeling a touch of sorrow.

I enjoyed it for as long as I could before I closed my eyes once more, and upon opening them, I found the clearing filled to the brim with snow and darkened skies ahead, bringing a harsh chill that made me shiver somewhat, as if the experience here had been but a dream I'd awoken from, this place looking as though warmth had been an absent tale, as no sign of the clearing had ever existed by the looks of it, for when it had left even the trees had taken different shapes.

I knew it was real, no matter what this place looked like now. I could still feel my strength, clenching my fist with a smile. It was still there. It was real. That's all I needed.

With this place having given me the tools I needed to survive and reclaim that which I had sought out from the very beginning, I gave one last silent thanks before walking back the way I'd came, looking to grab my jacket off of the ground before the cold got any worse, yet strangely enough it seemed to be absent. I kicked around in the snow where I knew it had been only to discover it was gone.

"Well, shit." I cursed at having had my jacket taken from me with the snow fast approaching. Yet curiously enough, I felt as though I'd see it again, smiling some before following my way back towards the mountain as I spied it off in the distance, knowing full well what awaited me on the path back; Winter and her sons having gone long enough without my return, walking back to what would be a furious den mother, accepting that the mountains were to be my home for the time being. And I wasn't afraid.

* * *

**The Northern mountain pack: Stone Jaw.**

* * *

He let out a heavy yawn as he awoke, picking himself up from the ground along with every other member of the pack, strolling out into the clearing to stretch his tired limbs as the rest gathered around to share tongues before the day was to begin. On his way out, he'd noticed both Blood and Shadow head back into the cave once he'd stepped out, passing them by with a quick bark to greet them, to which they returned in kind.

They looked noticeably tired, the two drooping their heads in clear exhaustion, having guessed Winter had kept them out the night before again on some kind of errand. He very much wish she wouldn't do this as often as she did. The boys were young and strong, but they weren't their mother. They had their own limits, well below those of Winter's, but she sometimes seemed to forget this. That, or she strived to push them both past what they were capable of, since she often left the pack in their care. The packs protectors had to be as strong as they could be after all. Though he worried she pushed them too far sometimes, it wasn't his place to question her on this. The two may have been his own sons, but Winter had chosen them for the role guardianship once she'd seen how strong the two were, having been training them in pure combat since they could first walk to better watch over the pack. Yet, what she'd never told anyone, not even them, was that she was grooming the twins to be her successors. That they were her plan for when she died. As such, she spent less and less time away from the mountains, sometimes for weeks on end, if only to prepare them for that day.

What was unusually rare was walking out into the clearing to find her sitting upon her small stone mound, having been with them for several days now, without her having taken off on her own endeavors. Her being her for nearly a week straight was not something he had seen in the longest time. Normally she'd be gone before the sun rose, somewhere off in the territory doing gods know what, yet something had kept her here for the foreseeable future.

And sadly it wasn't her family that had brought her back to their home. And if it wasn't them, then it had to have been the boy.

For reasons beyond his understanding, she'd taken in that young human not too long ago, having brought him back nearly dead after having found the pitifully injured looking boy stumbling around in a blizzard, injured and exhausted and nearly frozen to death. Kept looking at him like he was one of her own to the point that she'd defend him from the pack itself. He didn't understand why she acted the way she did, but he almost understood why. Yet it still bothered him that she'd provide shelter to one part of a species that'd hunt him, immensely worried what would happen when he was healed. Would others come looking for him? And what would happen if they found him surrounded by wolves. He'd have voiced these concerns, but knew Winter would have none of it.

He didn't bother questioning her over these things, for she didn't care for opinions that were not her own. The other reason was she did not entirely look at him like her mate. She didn't even pay him any mind once he looked up at her, almost like she hadn't even recognized him.

While he held a deep love for the pack mother, she did not look at him the same way. Nothing like she had shown for the boy, who seemed to be placed on a pedistal above her children.

They'd never been close, not like he'd wanted as she kept herself distant from him like her life depended on it. Ever since the twins were born she'd neglected to pay him any mind, they having been her last born, and now even they were put aside in favor of her new charge. And while she'd never taken another as her mate, they may as well have been separated at this point.

He looked to her sadly for a few moments more before he put it out of his thoughts to get on with his daily business. The hunting party was about to leave and he was leading it.

Though it was the loud and incessant howling of Blood and Shadow that caught his attention, curiously looking to the cave as Winter raced down the mound towards them, quickly moving past those in the clearing as if they were under attack.

He followed her himself to see what was so important that it had called her to them, looking into the cave to see only Winter and the twins standing there, the mother wolf furiously looking about for something.

While he did not know what was distressing her, he could see that it was enough to cause the normally stoic she-wolf sheer panic, Blood and Shadow scrambling to their feet once she called them to her side.

Without warning, she took off at full speed towards the,outside world, nearly barreling into Stone Jaw in her haste. Raising her snout into the air, she quickly picked up the scent she'd been following and gave chase, the twins right behind her.

He watched them run down the stone path in confusion, not knowing what had put her in such a crazed state, though it didn't take him long to figure it out, noticing just who amongst them was missing.

Taking a seat at the beginning of the first step down, he stared at their rapidly disappearing bodies as they vanished into the depths of the forest, chasing that lost pup of hers.

She hadn't left Blood or Shadow, and it had been a very long time since she'd left him in charge.

He couldn't stop himself from being concerned for the twins more than anything. Winter could handle herself, but they still had much to learn before she truly let them lead, yet with her so focused on this new charge of hers, she may neglect the two out in the field.

The two hadn't had the easiest life, but it was only going to get worse before things began to change, for better or for worse he couldn't say, for the only thing else they did not know was that only one of them could lead. There could not be two Alpha's in any one pack and still function properly.

She was training them for the day they'd come into conflict with the other, and Winter knew full well how much this would destroy the two brothers. In the long run, it was all about ensuring the safety of her pack. Even if she kept herself away from them she cared deeply for them all, and would do everything in her power to keep them save. But that didn't make it right, pitting them against one another.

Nothing good would come from it.


	25. Chapter 25

**The Stranger.**

* * *

**Chapter 25.**

* * *

**The Nothern Mountain Pack: Winter.**

* * *

The three sat in complete silence for what went on for who knew how long as their time spent in waiting for any sign of his return had only gone unanswered as they continued to waste the day in this damned clearing, with nothing to show for it and still left with only their worry as the short minutes that passed by had quickly become long, agonizing hours, Winter silently contemplating what she would do next if this all ended in the way she feared. If Tyler left the mountains to have escaped them, they'd have no way to follow him any further then they already had, and if he had indeed left, then she doubted the thought he'd ever return would ever cross his mind, leaving for a world he was scarcely prepared to take on when he had not yet conquered this one. Switching one for the other was not a thing done easily. Though in someway, maybe that was the best thing for him. Maybe he'd live a better life far away from here, where he'd face all the horrors the mountains would throw at him to make him strong. Maybe somewhere that could tend to him that he may properly grow up. There were indeed places where he could find safety and shelter in these dark lands, away from all the carnage, but she worried of his ability to find them, as something such as a safe place to call home in this world they lived in was something taken only by ones own fist and sheer determination, and Tyler had not come far enough to earn that yet. Maybe if he could not become strong here, then maybe he'd find his own way out there. Discover a way to unlock his own potential, the greatness that she had once seen in him.

Or maybe he'd choose to uptake a simple life, one not that followed the path of the warrior, one not built upon the blood and heartache that came with it. Though perhaps that would be the most difficult of all possibilities for him, for she knew he could not deny his urge to fight for long, it was in his blood. A fighter to the very end, it being the core of who he was. These instincts were not something he could ever ignore, even if his memory had been shattered permanently. He could not turn away from the heart of battle forever. There would always be innocents preyed upon and injustices that went unanswered; Cries of terror muffled by cruel hands. How long would it be-watching these things unfold right in front of him-before he felt the temptation to pick up a blade, and the need to cut down those that would bring suffering upon others, to right the wrongs of this world.

It was this thought that convinced part of her to still believe that he'd stay or find it in him to return, at the very least for the collection of his weaponry, for that was the sole reason he'd even bothered to have made his way up the mountain in the first place, it having given her some hope that he could still remember something about himself, remember the thrill of overcoming impossible fights, to watch powerful enemies fall before him and destroy every obstacle in front of him, but it was possible he'd come to the conclusion that the twin swords he had formerly wielded were just not worth all the trouble their recovery had caused him this far, and if this was the case then it was very likely he had forgotten even more then she had suspected. Not knowing the power his swords could bring him being a most dangerous thought, for they alone were what would always keep him safe, even if she wasn't there to protect him. His intention could be to travel to the very depths of hell itself to challenge its armies, to slay every demon he happened upon, and he'd still walk away untouched. No matter where he traveled or who he faced, as long as those swords were by his side, there was nothing he could not overcome. They would not only be his sword, but his shield as well. His power to destroy, and to protect.

Maybe he just wasn't the person she had remembered, but she could not fault him in this, for it had been her given task to have kept him out of harms way, and she had failed in that long ago. Even if they wanted to follow him now, they could not, even with Blood there. A look to him told her that not even he was capable of tracking him down at this point, no path left to follow. No scent there to pick up.

His trail had gone cold long ago, leaving them with no to hope to find him again, and no reason in the world was enough for her to take the twins outside the territory, even in their pursuit of Tyler, for that would have to be a journey she took herself, but such a thing was not something she could do just yet, maybe she'd be absent for long periods of time, but not even she dare to ever leave the territory. She'd been lucky enough to have been given another chance to right her wrongs the first time, yet no single pup was enough for her to place the pack in that kind of danger, cursing at herself for having lost him once more.

It was her failures that haunted her still, and in this she'd found her chance for redemption, something thought forever denied to her. But this had only become another reminder of how badly she had been a guardian, something else to keep her awake at night, and she'd never had very many good nights to begin with.

Where ever he traveled her thoughts would go with him, and her hope that he'd survive long into the passage of years, yet without the protection of her pack and Tyler lacking his once great strength and skill, his future was shrouded in uncertainty.

She did know one thing though, something about him that had never changed; When his back was against the wall, and nothing he could do would change the outcome, he pushed on through, pouring everything he had into one last shot, because he couldn't let himself die without giving it his all.

This might just have been the sign that she finally needed to let him go his own way. And she dreaded that very thought. She could only hope that this was for the best, for that was only what she had ever wanted for him.

It was the change in the winds that alerted her that the time for waiting had ended, for it had only blown in the direction Tyler had traveled a few short moments ago, finally pushing back towards the mountain, a sign that their confinement was over. She wondered if that meant Tyler's time in the forest had ended as well, whatever that had been for. And if it had ended, then Tyler's choice was his own to make, without hers or anyone else's input there to influence what the outcome of that choice would be. He could leave the mountains in search of a way to find his own path, or come back to her, and receive the proper training he needed to get back his true strength.

Yet even still, it was a hollow promise at best, and she just didn't know how she'd get it done. She'd only ever taught her twins, and with Tyler she knew it would have been vastly different. What point was there to wonder though, the time had come to return whether she wished it or not.

Both Blood and Shadow rose to their paws as soon as they'd felt it, knowing as well as she that they could now leave, and that it no longer mattered whether or not they stayed in the clearing, the twins walking over to her as they pressed their noses into her shoulders, softly comforting her to get her back on her feet. It would be no easy task to walk herself back home with this loss placed upon her, but she had to manage. Her pack needed her to be strong, no matter what tragedy came her way.

It was a hard truth, but she accepted it the best she could, just about ready to push this past her to move on as well as she could. Worrying thoughts filled her as she did not know if she had a will strong enough to come back from this a second time...

But...What was it Tyler always said? Back way back then, when times were at their darkest.

'There will always be hope. No matter how much the world is against you, the one truth you can look too, even to those that have lost their way, is that last endless burning ember of hope, for no amount of darkness or despair can extinguish its flame.' Why of all times did she remember that small bit of wisdom in such a bleak situation?

She stopped dead in her tracks, just a moment before they took to the path that lead back home. Catching something familiar in the air around them. '...It couldn't be...' she thought to herself in disbelief, taking a careful look back with an almost fearful gaze, laying her eyes on the most welcomed sight possible.

He had a strange smile on his face, and something about the scent around him had changed. It wasn't one of fear or anger, but calming, like he was more composed than he had been since she'd first found him.

None of that mattered, for she stared wide eyed in disbelief as she watched him walk through the thick overgrowth of the forest. Having returned to her, unafraid to stand before them.

* * *

**The Winter Four: Xander.**

* * *

Blood decorated the ground in place where snow had been, both of us heavily exhausted, it being a wonder either of us could still stand, beaten to the point of near death yet still standing just as strong as when we'd first taken a punch, the skin on our fist having been torn off from the sheer amount of force we'd put into each and every hit we threw, neither one of us willing to give the other even an inch of ground, as it was wildly considered to be a sign of weakness, no matter how badly we beat each other around; no matter how much blood the other took, neither one of us was willing to give anything less then our absolute best.

We went back and forth like this for a while now; Slamming my fist across his head, then he taking his opposite arm into my chest, only to raise my knee into his side to counter his blow, nearly knocking him back off his feet until he recovered enough to launch a swift strike across my own head. Just back and forth like this until it almost became repetitive. Fighting the other back enough to overtake a small amount of ground only to lose it when the other retaliated. We weren't getting anywhere at all, but neither of us was calling it quits yet, so the fight continued, regardless of this fact.

At some point I'd become numb to the pain, only able to feel the sweat and blood drip off my brow. Despite my injures, my only instinct left was to fight. Fight my hardest until either one of us was dead from our injures or exhaustion, yet at this point it didn't even feel like I was punching anything anymore compared to the beginning, where it'd felt like I was hitting a brick wall, having lost all feeling in my fist several minutes prior and the strength necessary to do any more real damage, just wringing out any blood in the open gashes on our bodies. Throwing them the best I could with what little power I still had left.

There were such horror stricken faces on all those there, watching the blood shed with immense worry for their respective combatant as they watched how badly we could hurt the other other, my own team cringing away each time I received another damaging blow to my already broken body. All except for Zag, who watched the gore filled scene taking place before her with anger and contempt, knowing in the heart she acted as though she didn't have that it should be her standing in my place, taking on one of our most dangerous enemies for me; To bleed all that I had lost thus far as she had done so many a times in the past. She'd fought my fights long enough, I'm afraid to tell her.

I did not doubt she could have won this fight had she taken my place, that she could kill Taios with her bare hands just as easily as she could any other man or woman there, she had already proven her talent for slaughter many a times before, having perfected the art of viciously beating a man to death to a terrifying degree . Of course, I didn't doubt Taios couldn't have just killed her just as easily, but I stood firm on my choice, this was my fight to live or die in, and her watching would only make her stronger for what lay ahead, and I needed that strength of hers to grow, so in this I gave her a reason. Yet at this very moment, I needed Taios more than anything else. I needed to know. I needed to know that I could overcome him. That I could put aside my own feelings and humanity to do what needed to be done. This wasn't something I could put off any longer, and I had for the longest time, even if I hadn't known I was.

With my resolve rekindled, I could feel my energy start to return, and along with it my strength, passion for this fight having returned in a burst of power as I finally pushed back against his onslaught, grabbing the wrist of his right arm the moment it came at me.

I let out the loudest cry of war I'd ever sung, stunning Taios the moment it hit his ears, many almost mistaking it for the roar of distant thunder, snapping him out of the combat trance we'd both entered as I ran my free fist across his face. Feeling every ounce of pain I'd accumulated since the battle began in an amplified amount, that fighting hypnosis having prevented me from feeling it. I'd take it all on if it meant I'd understand him and myself, every strike coming closer to that. I just had to before the end.

I unleashed a flurry of strikes upon him the moment he fell back, these my most devastating ones yet, creating all new wounds on his scarred body as I forced him back. That connection between us finally began to take root the longer the fight raged on, and for a single everlasting moment, it was just us, standing there alone together, and at last I had my chance.  
"Why?" I asked him my simplest question; at the same time my most burning one.

He could only form the weakest of smiles as I watched the light bleed out from his sad gaze, his death fast approaching, though it could still very well be my own if I didn't finish him now as I could still feel my own life force fade. But I needed my answers first before it came to that.

Taios at last found his footing, anchoring himself enough that I could no longer capitalize on my renewed source to fight, swiping his forearm across the air and slapping my arms to the side, quickly launching his knee straight into my abdomen as I fell forward, following it up with a bash to the bridge of my nose from his forehead, finally having begun to fight me off, capitalizing on his greater strength to cause even more damaging blows than I'd been able to muster up so far.

"Did you not know?" He asked as our bond strengthened itself, finding the words we needed to hear through our fist, as neither of us could say them aloud without others overhearing them. They could never know as we did. It didn't matter I suppose. It could only ever end in one way. And if not now then later. We'd only be prolonging the inevitable if it wasn't finished here.

He knocked me around for a solid minute with my body sustaining even more increasingly life threatening amounts of injures, throwing his arm straight into my sternum with such a devastating amount of force that blood was spit onto his arm, having almost broken through it, and he would have had I not grabbed onto his arm before the damage could be done, pushing forward on his arm to reduce the strength of his strike, having only cushioned a small amount of it, as it felt like so much of it had still passed. Only enough to have avoided the entire killing blow.

He ripped his arm out from my grasp the second my weakness became apparent, whipping both arms out to his sides as he aimed for the sides of my heads once more, as he had done already.

Only I was prepared for it this time around, quickly throwing my arms up before his wrist could collided with my skull, stopping his attack dead in its tracks, almost having my guard broken through, but it was quickly becoming apparent that he was slowing down just as much as I was, the fight having taken a heavy toll on the both of us.

We both gazed into the others eyes for the final time, both of us standing there in front of the other with bloodied and broken bodies, practically corpses as our final bout commenced, knocking him back with a well placed kick to his chest, taking a step back to catch our breath.

With nothing left but our reserves to go on, we both knew this was to be our last clash, taking in our final moment together while we still could.

"Did you ever know?" He spoke his final proclamation before the world around us became dark as shadows covered the land before us, one of us close to entering the Darklands, threatingily whipping into a frenzy as they separated us. I desperately tried to reach out for him, to hold on for a bit longer, but he didn't reach back for me, until it was too late, and the dark abyss carried us further a part.

"I know!" I screamed out in fear of losing him, terrified to stand in the dark alone, the bond having come full circle as I realized too late how to understand his feelings. How I might return them.

The last thing I saw was the warmth of his smile disappear before the demonic mask of his tribes chief appeared before him to cover his face, and he disappearing into the darkness, leaving me for the destiny in store for him.

What was I left without him? The knowledge of why he'd treasured that scar. Of why he'd spoken to me as a friend instead of his enemy. Of why one of us had to die for the other to move their life forward.

While he had donned the great mask of the chief, marking him as the leader of the Golden Tongues before his departure, I was left with the golden crown of winter placed carefully upon my ahead, and the silver shroud of kings past wrapped my body. These were what fates awaited us after this tale came to its conclusion, yet in each of them, neither of us was there to be seen.

A Chief or a King would be set upon the world to become its master, yet it was a Chief or a King that had to die. A life for a life.

We both looked towards our waiting fates, everything we could ever want and more, yet for dreams to become reality we had to end the others, so that we could live to reach them. But just for a few moments, we took the time to rest, if only for a little while before the bloodshed continued.

* * *

**A Stranger's journey.**

* * *

The walk back wasn't as unpleasant as I'd assumed it was to be, strolling along side Winter through the fresh piles of snow gathered around us in abundance as heavy storm clouds rolled in on the mountain range, her twins standing rather close enough that I could just barley brush the sides of their fur, almost like they were stranding guard over me. It wasn't exactly hard to figure out that they were there in the event I realized what a horrible mistake going back with them was and tried to book it again, Winter obviously never going to give me that chance ever again so long as she still had breath to draw on.

She needn't worry though, as I was there to stay until I had the strength I needed to go out and discover more of this world, to make sure I was never again afraid to face it, to make sure that I was never weak or defenseless ever again. This was the challenge I faced; to earn my right to once again be able to walk down the mountain to leave without her standing in my way, and that would only happen when she couldn't stop me from taking those swords back. When I had surpassed her in strength and power.

Maybe I still didn't have any memory outside of that first battle during that dark night, which meant nothing about those blades was known to me, yet I felt like they were special to me on feeling alone, instinctively knowing they were mine, to be the sole person in this world that could wield them, and that my path to reclaiming them was to be forged through her. That was why I had returned, to take back a forgotten past still waiting for me atop that mountain.

I couldn't get a feel for what any of them were thinking exactly, but I could see a mixture of calm and anger emanating from Winter's expression, like a mother that had just found her child that had wandered off away from her, relieved but still very furious, almost making me snicker some though I refrained from doing so as this would possibly have washed away any relief over having found me with pure outrage, and I'd already seen first hand how well Blood and Shadow fought, I didn't need to see her in action when it was me she was fighting against, not stupid enough to push my already poor luck anymore than I had already.

Speaking of which, I had to take note that I hadn't been attacked on sight for my absence, having only had Winter bark to get my attention as she lead us back after the shock of my resurgence had passed, having surprised me greatly as I'd expected some cruel and terrible form of punishment awaiting me the moment I strolled into that clearing. Though I still kept my eyes on all three of them just in case, having learned to never again let my guard down, especially around the twins, having already caught me when I hadn't been prepared for a fight, and even though I was more sure if my ability to handle them, I knew that I still had a ways to go before I could take them both down, but I had already been given the tools I'd needed to build my road to that goal, and I was eager to start paving the way.

I knew though, that a fight with the two was coming, just waiting for the moment that Winter gave them the command, I could see it, where as I had not before when they'd first attacked.

I could see other things too. Winter's lack of malice for one, only worried care in her gaze. I'd been so scared of her and her wolves up until this point that I hadn't noticed it before, or didn't want too, maybe it being an easier thing to do in my mind to rebel against those that had saved me when I held the belief that I was their prisoner, and they my enemies, having kept me alive thus far for some kind of in between meal snack later on. But there wasn't any murderous intent in any of them, and I hadn't really questioned that, weirdly enough. Not that I wasn't thankful that I wasn't under threat of constant death, but still I found it strange that they'd take me into the heart of their own territory; To let a possible threat roam near their family with unrestricted access, and look at me no different then they did each other. What wasn't I being told?

Was that what kinship felt like? To know without a doubt that there were others there to look after you? I didn't know enough to be certain. But in someway I did. Maybe that was why Winter had put up with me this long, and why her twins hadn't killed me yet. Some strange sentimental feeling of family.

I had plenty of time to think about this as we made our back to the protection of the Wolf home, the stone paths of ancients carved out nicely enough to provide us a clear road, taking in breaths of the crisp mountain air, feeling my aches and pains just leave my body the moment I stepped on the path up, feeling more relaxed then I had in a while, almost feeling comfortable enough to let my guard down, if only for a split second. But I wasn't that big of a fool.

Yet some part of me began to tense the moment I took notice of Blood and Shadow's mannerisms, taking darting glances all around me, trying to avert their eyes discreetly enough that I wouldn't notice their looking to me more and more, until finally Winter took a seat upon the dirt path, not even bothering to hide where her gaze was, looking directly at me with a look of commandment, her alpha personality breaking through any worry she might have had. And I had quickly come to understand the meaning behind this.

I'd passed her moments after she took her place, stopping in my tracks as I looked back to her, seeing how intensely she was staring at me, like when she she'd first kept me from leaving the clearing. Behind those dangerous looking sky blue eyes of hers was the caring motherly gaze I'd learned of, that's why I wasn't afraid of her anymore.

She had the same look when she sat with me, caring for me after my first battle with the twins, having saved me once more from death. There certainly was a large debt owed to her that I was intent on repaying, but there would be time for life debts after this.

I smiled some as I stretched out my arms and the rest of my body, the twins lowering their heads with an aggressive growl, they seeing me starting to prepare myself for combat. "So soon?" I asked as I turned back to face her. "Well, alright. Let's stop beating around the bush then." I was surprised some with myself; this time around I wasn't even mad that she'd set the twins loose on me, thinking of this more as training then anything else. And that was clear to see.

Winter actually started to show some form of admiration over my words, lowering her snout and shuffling it at me with a quick order barked to the two. Each twin started to advance towards me with a careful step, more cautious then previous encounters. Could they feel what I did now? Because with them standing there, I felt how much more dangerous they really were, how much they had held back against me.

How much of their strength were they using, now that my own power had drastically increased to beyond what I'd been capable of before. Hell, not even I was entirely sure myself, but I'd been very eager to find out. "You two beat me once already. Left me almost dead," I said challengingly as I raised both of my arms up, my palms open and my arms relaxed, keeping my body from becoming tense. "and that's one time too many."

Shadow was the first to lunge towards me with a snarl, claws outstretched and aimed for my body, the dark wolf having been the one who'd made the same strike before, and yet this time around, I was actually prepared, seeing his movements to a much greater degree, like somehow time was grinding to a halt for all but me.

And for about the very first time since I'd awoken to the world, I didn't feel powerless.

* * *

**The apprentices: Xander.**

* * *

I treaded carefully throughout the snowbound mountain, taking careful measures to avoid being seen to the best of my abilities, stalking past the frost covered trees as silently as I could possibly be in my attempt to bypass the inhabitants that called this place their home without paying their toll of blood, while at the same time searching for my younger brother as fast as I was able without giving ourselves away. A fight here would only waste what little time we had, and I wasn't exactly looking to pick one with the creatures of this mountain. If we came running into them and were forced to engage we would only be overwhelmed, and we would need all our strength for the Tongues party still ahead of us in the event our two groups came into open conflict, so I could not allow any more fights to waste our time and energy, if I could help it. Yet walking through this territory as I did, not asking for a fight may have been a little too much. So many places creature could be lying in wait, always hiding in the shadows, ready to spring their trap and take me back to be eaten alive. It unnerved me immensely, though I wasn't sure what it was exactly I was afraid of, the creatures of the dark or the wolves themselves.

Rising Wolf Mountain wasn't named so for shits and giggles, or for its spectacular L'ocean view. Its name was terrifyingly accurate, and no less dangerous to be caught alone in, so if one feared and cared for ones own life, they would avoid here all together, being no real reason to ever set foot on this place. Yet my intruding just couldn't be helped. This place was particularly dangerous to be in, and in this land of eternal wintry hell, that was really saying something. For it was the things that lived here that should be feared the most, and the freezing cold to those not children of the snow, already feeling its death like touch crawling down my throat the higher I climbed, almost making it difficult to breath, even for me. For even though I was Iceborn, my body still needed time before it could fully adjust to the harsh winter that made Snowfall famous. These creatures had no such problem though.

I didn't know how many there were, but various packs of wolves were reported to roam this territory, always on the hunt and never taking prisoners. Which is why no man or woman that had ever lived to walk away from this place had walked away unscathed, and not without a paralyzing fear of the great wolves, though no others held greater respect for the ferocious beast then they that had survived and failed the mountain's deadly trials.

Yet, even with the few that could tell you stories of this place, no one had ever gotten close enough to confirm just how many wolves lived here, or of the packs themselves, but from what I'd heard from those same men and women, the wolves here grew larger then in most areas, and were that much stronger. Though there was was one wolf in particular I'd heard rumors of, spoken of like a legend that still rang true, one said to be more dangerous than even the creatures of the Darklands, and one of the only living beings that could drive fear into their blackened hearts. They called this one many things; All manor of titles all ranging from monster to demon, but always a name most commonly spoken, and always in fear and respect. 'Mother of Wolves.' A wolf said to be so monstrous in size that she dwarfed even the most mountain of men. Whether these be the claims of men driven to madness and hunger because they'd become lost in the snow and hopelessly stumbled throughout the mountain was not known to me, yet living in the world that I did, I wasn't too quick to pass judgment on the more outrageous folks that filled the halls of Winter-Moor with stories of unbelievable wonder, or to dismiss the idea of great monsters that roamed the country. Yet, while many carried scarred bodies that told the stories of what happened here, no one had a scar from this mother wolf herself, those that had seen her having caught only passing glances as she lead her pack through the shadowy night on the hunt. There was one man though, and old and gruff veteran, whom made many claims to have actually fought the beast herself when his war party had accidentally found itself here without realization of what mountain they'd intruded upon after chasing down a few enemy battalions.

Many of us simply assumed he'd ran into few large wolves rather than the great wolf that had claimed this mountain as her own, but the look in his eyes when he remembered the tale of his encounter had told me that this man spoke only the purest truth. His scars were greater than any before him that had survived this place; four long claw marks ran down his chest, where the beast had first taken him by surprise, knocking his sword straight out of his strong grasp and sending him straight into the ground, the wounds deeper than any man-made blade could cut, having torn through his steel armor like it was paper, and still somehow damaged him greatly.

Missing flesh from his left eye where a scar twisted down his face, which was now pale and unable to be used for sight, where she had latched her mighty jaws down onto his head, shaking the life and breath from him, having nearly snapped his neck from the sheer force of it before she'd thrown him across the bloody snow covered forest floor, her strength monstrous and beyond him, greater then any man or woman.  
Maybe there was some truth to these tales, and of course, maybe not, but a beast as fierce as the one described was not one I wished to discover, which is way I had continued alone.  
Just before entering the mountain itself I'd command the others to move on ahead of us and set up a temporary camp until I'd recovered Zero, telling them we'd meet them along shortly, preferring to travel by myself up through this place to minimize the chance of being discovered, as I was a little more familiar with the area than anyone else in the party. Not that I'd been here before, but Aiden had me study all manner of maps of all of Snowfall extensively until I knew all of the land by heart. It's landmarks, its cities, its towns, and even where the hearts of its most dangerous places were, including how to find its safe havens.

I'd be the last person to admit to him that I always hated those lessons immensely, but actually being out here in the field on my lonesome, it was almost relieving to have an idea where I was walking, then again, traveling in the kingdom was vastly different from simply reading it on a map.

It was all nearly enough for me to want to be back with Aiden and have our mentors by our sides again. Back during the days when we ran all our missions together. I'd never had to worry before, because I knew he was always standing close by, ready to jump into a fight for me, or stop and pull me aside to explain what I was doing wrong, so that I might better myself if I was wise enough to heed his words. And while I normally was, there were times when I just didn't want to listen, or talked back, just like earlier today.

I wished he was there now, traveling these mountains with me, just to ease any doubts I might have felt; To stop me from questioning my leadership.  
Maybe I'd become a little too dependent on his guidance, too sure of myself and my abilities. Over estimation had a bad habit of getting people killed after all.

Maybe that's why I was here now, away from the great battle and not fighting along side him. A way to break my dependency of him perhaps. He wasn't gonna be around forever after all, I couldn't always be looking to him to bail me out of a tough situation, eventually I'd have to accept my responsibilities, and all the weight that came with them. And he had to ensure I was strong enough to handle it on my own when it came time to step down and hand me control of Alpha.

Only, I wasn't alone, and he wasn't here, as much as I refused to admit that that's what I wanted. He was off leading his team through hell and back, as he had done thousands of times before. He wasn't here, but I was, and I didn't just have his words and teachings to guide me through this; I had my friends, and their own experiences to look too when I needed it most. Maybe I wasn't the leader Aiden was, but I was still their leader, and they looked to me just as much as I did they. Being Aiden's apprentice didn't have to define who I was, and neither did Alpha, or even Winter-Moor. I was who I am. And who I am was something I was only beginning to discover, and it was up to me to forge my life into something beyond even him. Something I could be proud of at the end of each day.

And what I'd soon learn by the end of this day, was that these were things I'd find out very quickly, and I wouldn't have Aiden there to guide me down this path.

Something finally broke me free of my thoughts, catching my attention as soon as the sounds of a struggle rang out over the silence of the forest, hearing the cries of several men and a young boy, and that of heavy fighting.

I knew instantly that these sounds were surely those of my brother having finally caught up to the Tongues he'd been hunting, having taken on who knew how many just to keep the rest of the Warband hidden and safe from harm, knowing that could likely be his death. Zero was brave indeed. And I would not allow something like death to fall upon him, or anyone else under my command, breaking out into a quick run as I chased after them. At that moment I stopped giving a damn what attention I called to myself; One of my own was in danger.

* * *

**The Northern Mountain pack: Winter.**

* * *

She couldn't shake the nagging feeling that gnawed at her all the way back home, looking towards the returned boy with a bewildered expression that just froze itself on her face. He didn't seem the same as before. He wasn't. So much about him was different, down to the way he walked, the way he smiled. The way he stood there when he took his fighting stance.

What had happened to him exactly, while he went stalking around in the depths of the forest? What brought about this change in his scent? The different feeling of strength he now had. He looked so much more like a proper warrior. Nothing like he'd shown days ago.

It was...It...It was just so much more like before. Like how he use to be. Before he fell into the icy waters of the lake. Before his memory became a broken thing and he himself became scared of the world around him. Of creatures he used to slay without a second thought.

She had to see how much of him there was still left. He couldn't remember who he was, that was evident to see by his having forgotten her, but part if him still remained. It had just been buried under all his fear and insecurities, and underneath all of that was the Tyler she remembered. And right now he was fighting his way out, trying to reclaim himself, or at least bring out what remained.

Each time he seemed to be pushed to his edge in a serious fight the more of the real Tyler resurfaced. Maybe this was the way. Maybe she'd found her teaching method.

Maybe she could bring out whatever was still there, and if not, she would force it out.

It was so suddenly clear to her. She'd wondered how in the world she was going to train him, having only ever been a teacher to her two twins. When the answer to that very question was right in front of her.

Tyler had come back to them, after everything they had done. The borderline torture he'd been subjected too. And why? Why would someone return to a place where they had been put through so much?

It was his memory. However broken it might have been, she could tell bits and pieces if it were starting to put themselves back into place. Nothing major yet, but it seemed as if on a subconscious level, his memories were guiding him. Where they would take him she did not know, but now she now knew how to lead him there. She knew how to become his mentor, to be what he needed her to be. And what she needed him to be.

There could be nothing held back if he was to become the strongest he could be. No matter what. She need only train him as she did his brothers. Yet it would need to be that much more rigorous and challenging to prepare him for what was coming, and she did not know if all the time in the world was enough. There was a rising darkness fast approaching, and it had a hunger that could not be sated until Tyler was dragged to the depths of the Darklands.

Winter took her seat on the rock pathway, staring at her new charge with a determined look, motioning for the twins to come to a halt at once. Both looked at her questioningly, looking to and from their mother and brother, in between the approaching storm that was the fight.

Tyler took several steps forward before he noticed they weren't walking beside him any longer, letting out a deep sigh with a shake of his head the moment he realized what was happening, turning back to the three of them with an unafraid look of determination. "So soon?" He asked with a quick pop of both of his wrist. "Well, alright. Let's not beat around the bush then."

When he took to his combat stance, the twins entered theirs in response to the aggressive gesture, lowering their heads with a deep growl, Tyler staring challengingly at the two with his fist raised, his palms opened up and his arms relaxed, not tense in the slightest, even when faced against the twins, knowing already how strong they were. He no longer just held his fist up to protect himself, having had no idea how to properly protect himself or fight in general. All he had done was throw his punches around in the hope of hitting something and covering up his body when he came under assault, never on the move and always standing in one place. And when the time came to make his move he'd take to defending a single point, letting the twins go to him instead of taking the fight to them.

She wondered how differently things would go now. It was one thing to have a more dangerous feel about him, but to actually be dangerous was another thing entirely. She wanted him to show them how he could stand now.

"You two beat me once before. Left me nearly dead," he said as both of them moved in to engage him. "and that's one time too many." With these words spoken, the fight had begun, Shadow lunging at Tyler with a vicious snarl, jaws opened and ready to snap shut around his neck, Tyler standing his ground for the few brief moments it had taken Shadow to reach him.

Just as it looked as if her wolf would end up barreling into him, Tyler immediately fell back as Shadow snapped his fangs where Tyler's neck had been only a second ago.

Winter cringed some over Shadow having gone for such a dangerous blow, yet kept her tongue when Tyler's foot found its way straight into Shadow's abdomen, pushing him up into the air long enough for Tyler to rise up onto his hands.

With a quick spin, Tyler knocked Shadow away with the heel of his foot, pushing off of the ground to get himself back onto his feet, instantly rushing the dark wolf the second he saw he saw his advantage, on Shadow before he'd even touched the ground, tackling him into the snow and making the impact that much harder, gripping his fur as the two went tumbling together.

Shadow had the one chance to nip at him, Tyler just narrowly avoiding his teeth as he rolled back onto his feet, pulling Shadow behind his back as he stood and threw him off into the bushes of nearby trees, the twin wolf letting out a bark in pain as he landed somewhere unseen.

With Shadow out of site, Tyler quickly turned to face Blood as the younger twin nervously barked at him in an attempt to intimidate him, not yet having charged in once he'd seen Shadow fail to bring Tyler down to the ground, trying to play it safe long enough for Shadow to recover.

Tyler was not to be fooled though, and the two began to circle around the other, growling threats as they did, yet Winter could see the uncertainty in Blood, while Tyler moved about with none to be found.

Blood was strong in his own right, but Winter could see the twin's flaw. He relied too heavily on his older sibling to engage a target first, giving him ample opportunity to strike, yet seemed lost fighting by himself. It wasn't just him though. They both could fight as one in the best circumstances, usually when the fight was more in their favor, but separate they became messy and disorganized, having spent so long fighting together that alone their fighting suffered immensely, Shadow just happened to be better suited against this weakness but not by much, and Tyler was starting to see that himself. This was as much their test as it was Tyler's.

With warning growls given long enough, the two stopped their battle circle and stood, charging forward with loud snarls just before they lunged at the other with claws and fangs bared.

Tyler had done surprisingly well in his quick clash against Shadow, but in this instance Blood had managed to catch him off guard enough to bounce into his chest, shoving him into the ground before jumping off of his chest and whipping back around, rushing forward with lethal intent.

Tyler had but just moments to get himself back into fighting position by the time Blood had covered enough distance in between them to clamp down on his arm, only able to grab onto his upper and lower jaws, holding them open as his teeth dug into Tyler's hands, doing all he could just to avoid being bitten.

He held onto his teeth with everything he had, hissing in pain as they were only shoved in further, starting to cause bleeding as Blood pushed him back, Tyler digging his feet into the ground to put a stop to it, planting himself into the stone of the mountain enough to keep himself stationery.

It was a momentary shoving match between the two to test their strength before Tyler began to overpower Blood, picking him up onto his back legs and dragging him through the snow, Blood only able to shake his muzzle in an attempt to free himself. Tyler would not allow it though, holding him in place with a strong enough grip so the red furred wolf could not attempt to attack him again.

With Blood unable to escape, Tyler saw no reason to keep him there any further, leaning back with a kick straight into his brother, sending him flying back with the great amount of force delivered to him, throwing him towards their mothers paws with a satisfied look on his face.

Winter looked down to her son as he whimpered some, shaking off the snow that had covered him as he pushed himself back up, receiving an encouraging gesture as his mother helped him up, pressing her nose into his side.

Seeing that he'd dealt with Blood, Tyler took the free moment to rest, yet like clockwork Shadow reappeared from the depths of the forest, snarling as he lunged at Tyler once more, just as he had done before, only this time Tyler seemed fast enough to dodge the surprise strike, moving aside from his path and sending Shadow skidding through the snow, nearly falling onto his snout before finally recovering enough to regain his balance, only to be knocked off his feet with a quick sweep from Tyler's leg.

Shadow squeaked out in surprise as he was thrown helplessly into the air once more, Tyler pushing off the moment he was free falling, slamming his head down into Shadow's rib cage and sending him crashing over the ground and through the piles of snow, only stopping once he too rested beneath Winter, his body starting to show signs of heavy injuries, all from only a few hits, devastating as they were it should not have been enough to put them down just yet. She knew their limits well and they were no where near them, but Tyler's attacks were enough to break through their current level of defenses.

Even if it didn't seem like it, the two were holding themselves back just enough to feel the full effect, unable to handle it at their current strength. As long as he focused on them one at a time he could fight them back, and the twins were so adjusted to their particular fighting style that when broken, they became confused and fell apart. She had not taught them this as it was their own method, to overpower the enemy with hit and run tactics until they'd worn it down enough to ravage, just like during their first fight.

Only, this wasn't prey they were fighting, and this wasn't the same Tyler from their first fight together. He was reading their moves more clearly and responding to them accordingly, giving them much more trouble than he could have several days ago. In any case, she became all the more curious to see how far he'd come, and if he could handle the twins at their best.

Maybe she didn't want to approve of more lethal fighting techniques, as she did not want this to turn into an outright death match, but felt strongly enough in her belief of Tyler that she knew he could handle whatever came his way. Maybe not their true strength, but more than this. If only to give him a greater challenge. It would be unfair to the twins if she did not permit them to fight with more strength, as she did not expect Tyler to hold himself back to the same degree.

And with a simple nod of her head, the twins rose to their feet, seemingly shaking off their accumulated injures as their bodies tensed for a quick moment as they went through the process of strengthening themselves.

A pale gray energy enveloped the twins as both stretched their bodies out, fur standing on end and claws seemingly becoming sharper and more deathly looking, the stare they shot him intensifying until it bordered on angry daggers. It made Tyler shutter just to look at them, nearly taking a few timid steps back before subconsciously raising his arms up to safeguard his body, flashing back to that nearly fatal clash before, a tinge of fear spreading across his face, feeling its cold touch strongly enough that it started to paralyze him to the spot, unable to lift his arms anymore even if he wanted too. These were the powers granted to all those that followed the Great Wolf; Able to call upon a small fraction of his power for themselves, normally only used when times were at their darkest, but for this she would make an exception. This was something used by all wolves, something Tyler had no experience with.

She almost command the fight to end right then and there after seeing the fear on his face, yet even when it was there he did not back down. He could not let himself become afraid, not now.

As both Blood and Shadow began to move in together, ready for another blood filled scrap, Tyler took in several deep breaths to center himself, a sense of calm washing over him as his body lost its tension, and with it his crippling fear.

With it gone, Tyler was able to fight freely once more, opening his eyes up to the fight as both his hands and feet began to emanate a brightly sunny orange aura, Tyler himself calling upon a power hidden within him, just as the twins did. Just like he did during their first bout. Only instead of being pushed towards his limit this time around, he was seemingly able to bring it out upon his own free will, and appeared to be in much better control over it.

Tyler focused on letting his power grow, and only on his power. He did not worry about the twins, the dangers of the land, the creatures, his fears or even how badly he could become injured. He pushed everything aside and thought of nothing more than the battle ahead, the furious call to a fight filling his blood and excitement coursing through his veins for combat for the very first time.

In only a few moments of gathering power, Tyler's aura unleashed a pillar of light, the sheer amount of force from it nearly knocking the twins back, holding on only because the three were nearly equal. When it died down, Tyler's body was surging with the light of his new strength, a ring of his orange aura having developed around his normally sky blue eyes until it came to a full circle.

When the dust settled, Tyler and the twins stood above the clouds of dirt, moving in only after the three had gathered all the strength they had, and when they had nothing left hidden they each let out a fierce howl that echoed throughout the entire mountain range, charging in head first as the the three leapt towards the other with the intention of fighting at their absolute best. This was how they would bond even further, for if they could fight as equals, than they could truly be brothers.

* * *

**For the next five chapters, I intend to dedicate four chapters to four characters, to bring an end to several storylines, then wrap it all up in chapter 30 to move on to the next story arc. I won't give away much information on the next storyline, but it will exclusively feature Tyler as the main point character for sometime, with Alpha and the rest of Winter-Moor generally unseen as their part in the story will have come to a close for now.**


End file.
